Mukqs is the alter ego of Maxwell Allison, the Chicago-based co-founder of the Hausu Mountain label and member of the noisy improv crew Good Willsmith. Under this solo guise, Allison outputs a beat-focused brand of electronic tuneage, incorporating elements of techno, videogame music and samples.
The resulting music is an organic brew, a hardware-only affair that is shaken vigorously into an electro-tinged cocktail of sound. It strays from the noise-forward direction of Good Willsmith, but retains a sense of playful oddness.
Mem Aleph is Allison's inaugural release for the Jacktone imprint, and nods toward IDM with its focus on strange melodies, drone-like pads and hardcore-sourced rhythms. Each side of the cassette unfolds seamlessly — the tracks blend together hypnotically, such that a listener will get lost in the churning melodies.
The A side is a breezy yet propulsive affair, always moving forward with a mellifluous sensibility. On the flip, the weirdness factor is enhanced, as the harmonic sequences become more complicated and an array of samples is woven into the unusual rhythms.
There is a lot of detail to be excavated from within the bedrock of these delightful tracks. Astute listeners will be kept busy for a while exploring the intricacies of Allison's meticulous compositions.
(Jacktone)The resulting music is an organic brew, a hardware-only affair that is shaken vigorously into an electro-tinged cocktail of sound. It strays from the noise-forward direction of Good Willsmith, but retains a sense of playful oddness.
Mem Aleph is Allison's inaugural release for the Jacktone imprint, and nods toward IDM with its focus on strange melodies, drone-like pads and hardcore-sourced rhythms. Each side of the cassette unfolds seamlessly — the tracks blend together hypnotically, such that a listener will get lost in the churning melodies.
The A side is a breezy yet propulsive affair, always moving forward with a mellifluous sensibility. On the flip, the weirdness factor is enhanced, as the harmonic sequences become more complicated and an array of samples is woven into the unusual rhythms.
There is a lot of detail to be excavated from within the bedrock of these delightful tracks. Astute listeners will be kept busy for a while exploring the intricacies of Allison's meticulous compositions.