“Inspired by the age of accelerationism, the rapid rise of machine led processes, the inevitable breakdown of organic functions.”
An amorphous, dark ambient affair, Motors/Pulses is the second full-length album by Albert Yeh, marking the artist’s debut on LA imprint Dragon’s Eye Recordings. Carefully crafted with the close attention of human touch, yet through electronics erecting an imaginary metropolis of machine and noise, it is like an alien museum piece, sparking wonder, curiosity, and even a little fear.
The album exhibits its full spectrum of sound in the first two tracks, sharply veering from the slow-motion dread tones of the opener “Exordium” into wild skittering and pulsing synthesizers on “The Tempest.” There are brief reprieves: Halfway through the album (“among the grains and the waves…”), a classical guitar lullaby channels gentle warmth. And a gorgeous solo piano piece (“Clausula”) closes the album. But otherwise, the album is uneasy listening—unsurprising given the themes Yeh chooses to explore—but essential for seekers of art truthfully reflecting the world.
