In “Par Manque de Temps” by Arbee Monkey, beat and melody play a cat and mouse game. There’s a deep synth tone, like something that might not have been out of place from a mid-1980s pop group, but it’s used for if not dirge-like effect, then certainly something atmospheric, even maudlin. It plays against a beat that’s only slightly more fleshed out than a click track. But as the piece proceeds, the roles change. At first the tone exerts a rhythmic intent, suddenly pulsing, and then the beat dissolves, eventually flanging and losing itself in its own atmospheric foray.
The piece is the opening of Arbee’s Libre Arbitre, released on Recycled Plastics. The full album is at recycledplastics.bandcamp.com, there’s a suite of remixes (by Darren Harper, among others) at soundcloud.com/recycledplastics, and a CDR at milieu-music.com.
Track originally posted for free download at soundcloud.com/arbeemonkey. More from the musician, who is based in Québec City, Canada, at twitter.com/arbeemonkey.
Thanks Marc for this great description of the track. You do put in words what happens in this track like no one else. This disquiet.com post is really appreciated !!