Frequency Control Centre - The 1988 Anomaly

 Released: June 19

Frequency Control Centre (Paul Ledbrook) has always been well-known for his hazy and nostalgic textures and atmospheres. But on his latest release, The 1988 Anomaly, he takes those hazy textures up to eleven and amplifies the sonic weirdness even more. There is quite a bit going on in the the album as he switches between more straightforward analogue beats with gentle harmonies and more abstract pieces that include pieces of found sound that feel like they were pulled off an old camcorder tape. While I always love solid beats and melodies, it’s this weird pieces of found audio that really sell this album for me. You can hear it from the very first track as cloudy tape saturated pads play along with this odd bit of audio that is so hard to accurately place. Perhaps it’s some muffled and distorted voices? Or maybe something else? I’m quite unsure but it sets an unsure atmosphere that trails perfectly into the lo-fi beat that picks up once it drops out. 

If it is some soft but solid beats you want though, this album brings the goods. Pretty much every track features an at least somewhat prominent beat on it, particularly the second track on the album “Skadi Mons.” On this particular track that beat is quite tight and plays into the sparse melody quite well. But on the final track of the album, “Where the Coast Ends,” Paul skips over any such rhythm in favor of really allowing us to absorbs some wonderfully warped and spaced out pads and bits of found sound. It feels trite  but the is is honestly my favorite moment of the whole album simply due to how haunting the track feels in the context of all that came before it. No drums, no rhythm, no beat - just an anomalous sounding ambient track that feels reflective, uneasy, and warm all at the same time. It really solidifies that slight melancholy tone to the entire album. Not that it is sad or saccharine or anything like that. It just feels appropriately nostalgic and doesn’t shy away from the less bright aspects of being nostalgic.