Galerie Stratique

Nothing Down-To-Earth sounds like eerie and darkly hip science documentary music. Galerie Stratique likes to work with abstract beats and eerie soundscapes, with samples evocative of synthesiser-dominated rock bands of the '70s and '80s. Though perhaps the samples may originate from his gear after all, since there are no sampling credits on the liner notes. The beats range from down-tempo to rigid industrial music-influenced rhythms. An interesting track on this comp is "Algeria," which has steady beats and a subtle melody going on with a dense, high-pitched drone hovering over the song that threatens to consume the piece. Somehow the melody and drone are woven in harmony with each other, which shows this producer has some skills. Songs like "Frozen Lakes," "5" and "8" are the elusive pieces evocative of riffs from '70s and '80s tunes; maybe Galerie Stratique uses dated gear. It is these riffs that instil a mystique ideal for a space or physics documentary. Early Boards of Canada may be an influence for this producer, as well as DJ Spooky, and the many synthesiser parts have a distinct David Kristian influence. Quite a haunting atmospheric beat album that is indeed Nothing Down-To-Earth.