Antye Greie (AGF) and partner Sasu Ripatti (Vladislav Delay) don't require a lofty introduction. Both artists have received profuse critical praise (as well as full front page features in The Wire magazine) while releasing numerous successful solo projects and collaborations with other artists. In 2004, as AGF/Delay, they released Explode - their debut collaborative record. Symptoms, released by Berlin-based label Bpitch Control, is their second collaboration and an exemplary follow up.
Antye Greie's voice and lyricism are a perfect compliment to Delay's skittish, yet focused brand of frenetic beats, dub-like bass lines and glitchy textures. Lyrically, the record contains poetic themes dealing with distance and disconnectedness, paranoia, confusion, apathy and the inability to escape the traps of our own making; "get me something I can hold so I can get lost a little further", sings Greie on the opening "Get Lost". These are loaded topics for sure, but danceable rhythms, catchy hooks and an overall sense of pop appeal offset the bleak, apocalyptic character of her lyrics.
At times, Greie's voice sounds almost joyful, despite the dark, brooding lyrical content. Her voice is commanding, yet quiet and soothing - feminine, yet masculine. Stylistically, the music on Symptoms is more pop structured than one would expect from Vladislav Delay, and rests more comfortably next to his work under the Luomo moniker, specifically 2008's Convivial. AGF/Delay is a distinctive pop vehicle and shows a departure from the more experimental nature of AGF's brilliant Westernization Completed or Delay's Whistleblower. It should bring new listeners to their table while not alienating fans of either artist's solo work.
Delay also mastered this release, and it sounds fantastic. The music contained is rich and detailed and should pay dividends for anyone listening with headphones. Each track contains copious amounts of ear candy to keep the most ardent audiophile pleased. A record like Symptoms proves that AGF/Delay are a viable force in the world of electronic music and it's quite likely that they could tackle any genre of music and make it sound utterly superb.
Despite its relative cohesiveness, Symptoms is not without flaws. Listeners who are not familiar with their first collaboration may expect a sound representative of AGF or Delay's solo efforts, and will therefore be a bit disappointed with the more pop-based direction employed on this release. There are moments when certain compositions feel too conventional for these two composers, who are capable of producing smart, extraordinary and atypical compositions within a seemingly common musical framework. Tracks like "Connection" and "Generic" lack the abstract inventiveness of the much stronger tracks like "Outbreak", "Most Beautiful", and "Second Life". To clarify, AGF/Delay's finest moments are when they ease back a bit from the pop formula and let fragments of their individual, more recondite styles permeate the track. They show this ability very well on the track "Bulletproof", which harbors off-beat rhythms and odd timing coupled with AGF's distinct poetic verse and Delay's sonic alchemy.
Yet, the most concerning problem with Symptoms may lie within its lack of transcendence. A less forgiving audience could deem the musical style of Symptoms passé or forgettable over time. But even with that consideration, it's a strong, energetic release by two masters of the field. And it's here right now. So let's enjoy it while it lasts.
-Michael Duane Ferrell