"Clears Throat"

Amidst the chatter surrounding the still-burgeoning "glo-fi" scene, a word that gets thrown around a lot is "nostalgia"-- for childhood, old cassette decks, or (most obviously) the 1980s. Denton, Texas' Bryce Isbell, who records as FUR, shares some of the same sonic predilections of peers Washed Out and Neon Indian (the latter of which he's collaborated with), but his particular brand of amorphous, water-logged electronic music trades nostalgia for a vague sense of dread. Imagine Geodaddi-era Boards of Canada, if BoC spent more time watching Slumber Party Massacre and less time studying the sounds of BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

"Clears Throat", then, signals a bit of a departure for Isbell in both style and sound. Part of a free split EP with Detroit J Dilla acolyte Coyote Clean-Up, the fuzzy waves that kick off the tune serve as a kind of fake-out. A steady 4/4 beat and clacking percussive effects suggest that "Clears Throat" is ready for the dance floor, borrowing elements from house and minimal techno to create a rhythmic drive not usually associated with music of this ilk. The song is certainly warmer than FUR's previous output as well, with a pulsating synth tone that is both luminescent and insistent. Certain sounds carry over from his other work: subtle tone-warping, and then midway through, every element fades away under a muffled filter, creating an underwater effect. Neat trick, but also a relatively unnecessary interruption. "Clears Throat" slowly ratchets up its mannered intensity, building to deliver dollops of beat-heavy bliss for anyone who sticks around for its payoff.

[from Lackadaisical EP; out now on Waaga]