Martin Gore: MG review – free-range techno and synth soundscapes

An appreciation for Martin Gore’s album of 16 claustrophobic, electronic, instrumental tracks will, it goes without saying, depend largely on how tolerant you are of claustrophobic, electronic, instrumental tracks. Provided you are, there’s much to immerse yourself in – from the foreboding, metallic chimes of Swanning to the fizzing synth meltdowns of Islet. They all have a filmic quality – reminiscent of composers such as Clint Mansell, Vangelis and beyond – and yet no films with which to anchor them. This, of course, allows the mind to roam free throughout the various left-field, techno and synth soundscapes conjured up, all of which tend to evoke sci-fi culture. In that sense, MG is not dissimilar to Kuedo’s 2011 album Severant – without, perhaps, the direct link to modern dance culture, but with no less command of mood and atmospherics.