National Music Reviews
Metatag
Surrender
Hel Audio
Street: 01.19
Metatag = Boards of Canada x Aphex Twin + Blade Runner Soundtrack
Experimental ambient music typically suggests song upon song filled with lots of layers, fuzzy feedback and/or dreamworld noise, which (at least to me) can get really dull, really fast. Metatag, however, aim to explore both the melodic and apocalyptic, with tracks ranging from the simple, interstellar journey in “N779,” to the sub-pop symmetry of “Sidstation Vacation,” to the dystopi-an drama of “Lunar Half.” While this album is (obviously) exploratory, it doesn’t try to do too much or too little. Just like the Goldilocks of the experimental underworld, this one is just right. What could make this even better? You can buy this on cassette. –Allison Shephard