The third 65daysofstatic full length is somewhat of an enigma. While it is certainly as paranoid and euphoric as anything from their previous catalogue, the release is also both serene and progressive. It would perhaps be consequential to attribute this shift to the time frame leading up to the release (their longest hiatus yet), but that would, however, overlook some rather rudimentary and fundamental musical changes.  Although the band have never been averse to considerable elemental decisions (their hyper glitch-core is, surely, based on axioms of improvisation), the inclusion of both synthesisers and vocals lends considerably to the stark directional change for The Destruction Of Small Ideas.

Following a couple of limited, under the radar CDRs, the band burst into the instrumental sphere with 2004’s The Fall Of Math. Bearing in mind we’re only three years down the line, the release is still as invigorating now as it was then and, somewhat inevitably, remains as their legacy’s coup de grace. With the inclusion of a prominent piano in the sophomore One Time For All Time, and a greater emphasis on structure and coherence, the evolution connecting the more mechanical synths to their traditional erratic esoteric is a less surprising addition here. Although the erudite arrangements remain from One Time…, the percussive constituents that allude to their debut are perhaps the most striking - at times thundering and angst ridden, at others tempered and obligatory. Considering their prominence in the band’s arsenal, the drumming, and production generally, has been a area of great discussion since snippets of the record flooded the internet. Granted, a lot of criticism has been pigeonholed by tech-philes in ratios and quality-control spiel, but the disparagement is noteworthy nonetheless: whether marshalling a part of its aesthetic or as a result of production/mixing misgivings, the tinny and opulent output is vexing.

It’s a shame, then, that musically this is the strongest album the band produced. The flowing uniformity lends a great deal to the intricate layers and lines of guitars and piano that permeate the whole with an assured maturity. It’s only when the expectant drumming comes careering in that the aforementioned production suspicions become apparent; although tracks like “Primer” and “Don’t Go Down To Sorrow” have a jarring and puncturing quality to them, you can’t help but think that they’ve been recorded too far away from the mics and nobody’s bothered adjusting the acoustics. Conversely, cacophonous standouts such as “Wax Futures” and “The Distant & Mechanised Glow of European Dance Parties” are endured and strident examples of the complex and balanced percussion that should infuse the album with the ragged sensibilities that it furthermore strives to retain.

Elsewhere, the reoccurrence of the piano is welcome. Employed in a engineered role to lessen the record’s cathartic nature (a stark contrast to its inclusion on One Time For All Time), it takes the lead in intermediary tracks such as “White Peak/Dark Peak” in order to quell the torrent of mathematical resonance - another first for the band considering past concise tracks have sounded like Squarepusher. It’s certainly an arrangement that sits well with the album’s composition and is one that has been implemented thoughtfully. The decision to graft some neo-post rock vocals, screamed or otherwise, however, is an obvious misstep. Venturing into such an inexplicably signposted minefield (Low Frequency In Stereo, anyone?) not only undermines the preceding hour of aural sonorism, but also emasculates their catalogue entirely. Without condemning “The Conspiracy of Seeds” completely, though, the orchestral flourishes purportedly indicate further experimentation, which is only a positive development on this evidence. In the mean time it’s just an impossibility to see past the irksome vocals - this sort of discordance should be left to Moving Mountains…

Shifting through the remains, it’s clear that The Destruction of Small Ideas is certainly the band’s most accessible record. How this lucidity is translated into an already saturated musical genus is anyone’s guess; one wonders how many more fans the band can possibly attract. After all, anyone who really cares about this sort of thing has already tracked it down and firmly entrenched it in their LastFM. What we do know is that there’s no longer any mystery about 65daysofstatic; you either get it, or you don’t.

- Alex Bradshaw