When you think of the typical release on the excellent 12K/Line labels run by American minimalist Taylor Deupree, you tend to think of pristine audio micro-surgery, clothed in austere monochromatic covers.  You’d be forgiven for having forgotten the output of the sister label Happy, with its more poppy Japanese output – of such seemingly different lineage that your brain may find it hard to make the familial connection.  The new Moskitoo album incestuously blurs the divide in eye-opening fashion.

Make no mistake: while this may seem unchallenging when racked next to a Richard Chartier release, it is still an experimental record, and not just from a label-strategic point of view.  While the sweet breathy melodic coo on top distracts and disarms, Drape would think nothing of pitting wind chime against drone, accordion against irregularity, glockenspiel against chirrup, piano against concrete.  This is abstract, ambitious, other-worldly electronica with an instinctive untutored grasp of popular music as a second language.

There have been signs of late that 12K is a restless beast, stepping outside its niche with releases by the likes of Christopher Willits (and don’t forget the last Deupree record Northern – a hugely enjoyable and reasonably accessible affair which I hope you’ve checked out by now, as it appears to be sold out).  It is a credit to them that they can release something slightly more commercial without coming close to compromising their studied aesthetic.  Of course now I’ve said all this, the next release on the label will be a recording of a particularly buzzy fridge…

Download ”Skie” courtesy of 12K; you can buy Drape from their lovely shop.  There are some marvellous remixes too; especially the Taylor Deupree mix of “Skie”.  Speaking of Taylor, there is an open Q&A on his blog, so if you want to ask him anything about the 12K studied aesthetic, now is your chance.