the disc random equations by usb is an unusual case for the genre of alternative electronica or "idm" music. although the cd artwork suggests a highly digital, robotic theme, the tracks that make up random equations tend to be united primarily by their strong natural, organic sense of melody. there are plenty of blipps and whirrs in the underlying rhythmic bed for these tracks, reminiscent in many ways of mid 1990's autechre. however the strong, simple overlaid melodies are what really pulls the listener in. while most electronica concentrates heavily on establishing groove to the exclusion of any songlike elements, i found myself humming parts of these pieces for hours after listening. most of the tracks are calm, wistful, and evocative, and probably would go down very well with fans of boards of canada, land of the loops, or aphex twin's gentler side. strongly recommended.

          jopy feb 2006

When reviewing an album, such as the excellent ‘Random Equations’ by USB, the reviewer often goes through song by song, mentioning high and low points and linking the music with the lyrics or song titles. As I’m listening to this on holiday on a portable CD player without the track listing, I can’t do that. Luckily, with USB’s new album it’s not really necessary. There’s plenty of variety here but nevertheless the album slips seamlessly from track to track, each displaying USB’s mastery of melodic IDM.
The music does indeed have many classic electronic reference points- from Aphex Twin through to Orbital and in particular many of the best artists on the Warp label- but USB doesn’t just meld them but also builds on them to create something distinctively their own- listenable and evocative. The album title suggests finding a beauty in science and patterns- and what USB finds is definitely worth hearing.
The beats are characteristic of this kind of music and display complex abstract progressions, glitches and syncopations. You imagine the scientist here, connecting esoteric pieces of equipment and discovering strange new worlds through mathematics. So far, so electronic. However, science has other sides to it and whatever USB is working with definitely has an organic element. Vitally for this album, at the core of what this artist does is an understanding of the power of melody.
The tunes on ‘Random Equations’ fly and there are many moments that are nothing short of beautiful. Themes build and die, bell-like synths glisten, baselines roll forward, a solo piano forms abstract shapes. Everything is done with a clarity which makes this music very enjoyable to listen to.
As an aspiring electronic artist myself, I have very few criticisms to make. Perhaps some of the music very occasionally gets too repetitive- but this does allow for focus and is in any case a rare event. On the whole this is a superb album that sweeps the listener along with it. In science, as in life, you have a choice between detail and the big picture but USB somehow manages both simultaneously. Whoever says electronics doesn’t have a soul will be proved wrong here.

© Northcape, July 2005

USB - Cursed

One of the things I find strange with the so-called IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) genre is the fact that I can never fathom the actual style of the genre. Some tracks I hear contain a strange mixture of noise and experimental sounds, others present an altogether more chaotic experience with mad and seemingly random drum programming, whilst others provide something that is quite refreshing and a completely different kettle of fish.

Beginning with a strange, out of this world intro, I had the feeling that this would slot nicely into the former; noise and experimental sounds. However, as the track progressed, there were extra elements like piano riffs and sci-fi-like sound effects that made this seem quite an original offering. The drum segments are well made and the sections each offer their own little gradual progressions instead of just looping the same three or four parts over and over again. All of which giving the impression that there has been a lot of thought gone into this.

Okay, so it's not really my particular genre or flavour of choice - but I enjoyed listening to this track. It has depth and variety and, while not as fast moving as some may like, give it a chance and you'll see that there's quite a lot more underneath the hood than your initial impressions may come to realise.

Frequen-Cee 06/03/2005

Floaty, bubbly music here, nothing specially unique, infact probably a favoured genre of music, its definately not drum and bass for sure. Its more dub/chillout/mellow. Its vibrant and musically cheery. Ill assume by yout post count that your quite new here so well done on producing such nifty work allready!

The intro is really enchanting and makes me wanna see where this is going. The panned delay/echo serves an essential purpose in keeping the atmosphere rolling and jumping about. This is crying out for a pad of some sort i feel. The bass is minimal and effective but maybe try experimenting to see what a pad does to the vibe of the track, not so much in the early stages but maybe later on. Dub percussion is excellent and rolls nicely with the track. They jump around with the synth. Percussion variation is important as well. I really really like the addition of the piano around 2:19 thats just what the track needed. Maybe try and be a bit more adventurous with that piano,a bit more solo work would do a treat make it feel a bit jazzy, try listening to some Zero7. See how they play around with some of the rhodes in their tracks. Panning echo throughout is good. Its reall well composed. I havent heard much of your stuff but if this is the direction your going in i seriously recomment having a listen to Groovebunny who has many pieces like this, try the track 'new beginnings' i think il check to make sure after. Looping at 4:38 is useful to see in the outro and it follows out nicely, possibly could have ended around 5:00 but i had no problem with the long outro.

Lovely spacey track with well placed sounds and tempting piano(?) sounds in the middle that could have been expanded on to really bring out a jazzed vibe.

My rating: 8/10