“Espaces éphémères” is a collection of six standalone pieces from electroacoustic artist Ambrose Seddon, each with their own rationale and, according to the sleeve notes at least, without any overt linking theme or approach. Despite this, and despite the pieces dating from between 2005 and 2017, there is a sonic consistency here that makes it hang together nicely as a 73-minute listening experience.

With the sparse, gritty washes of “Traces Of Play”, pulling apart the percussive sounds and electronic bleeping of toys and wallowing in extremely deep and extensive reprocessing and sonic twisting, and the similar approach to reworking everyday ambience in “The Nowness Of Everything”, there’s a persistent sense of space and flow that makes you question your usual level of background sonic radiation. Very mild noises, gently glitched and stretched in time, stuttering like echoes from more energetic electronica, roll like textures in mostly very sparse atmospheric frames- none more so than 2005’s “Fouram”.

Despite its sombre accompanying notes, time seems to be treated somewhat more playfully in “10_35_70” with its gradual ramping and abrupt drops. While many of the pieces involve the expression of long, sea-like waves, “Fleeting Strands” is reportedly the only piece that’s overtly coastal, based on recordings of Norfolk and Devon. Of course it’s unlike any other audio postcard you’re likely to hear of the area, yet somehow the sense of holiday still persists, despite it also feeling like the tensest piece on this release thanks to some long metallic strung-out notes with subtle horror connotations.

It’s a sombre and at times glacially slow set of pieces, but with a nuanced texture that really draws the ear in and helps you to appreciate the small sounds and details. Though essentially a collection of old works, for many it may strike a chord with 2020 lockdown and the newfound senses of slow and distant that have been forced onto many of us. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s gently powerful.

Eric Random has a strong CV with Manchester and Sheffield connections, with connections to Cabaret Voltaire and the Buzzcocks, and a rich track record of releases, fairly prolific over the last few years. It’s Cabaret Voltaire that I would use as a starting point to describe the dark synthpop sound- light electronic beats, vocoded brooding vocals, crisp analogue synth bass with bleeps and beeps.

However despite the punk credentials, there’s surprisingly little attitude at play here. The production is generally quite lightweight, eschewing modern more-is-more mastering and EQ in favour of a more authentic, thinner, 80’s synthpop sound. Kraftwerk comparisons are obvious and inevitable but relevant in the sonic palette of tracks like “Fundamental Phenomena”.

It’s a genre that’s quite well stocked for new, old-sounding releases, and as with other releases, it’s elements such as songwriting strength that would make it stand out from the crowd. Unfortunately, while some of the songs here are catchy and nicely written, there’s a shortage of inspirational moments- earworm hooks, or lyrical wizardry- to elevate this release. Certainly much of it is not bad, but many of the melodies are a bit too one-note, and lyrics like “keep on running to the other side”, in “Compulsion”, do feel like songwriting-by-numbers.

“The Familiar” is one of the brighter-sounding tracks, and probably the track most likely to draw people in if it were to get playlisted. “Sinuous Seduction”, with its spoken word samples and more rubbery electro bass, also stands out as a highlight, as does “Acyetalene Dream Pt. II” which hints at what a more driving and industrial attitude would’ve infused into this release.

“I’m open to ideas” is a lyric in the track “Fundamental Phenomena”. Harshly, it does feel like ideas is what “No-Go” is a little short of, as though we’re going through the workmanlike process of churning out electronic tunes hoping that inspiration or uniqueness would magically appear, and for the most part it doesn’t. But that being said, there is still an undeniable quality to the production, and some strong tracks, and as dark synthpop to work to rather than idolise, this is worth a listen.

Pushing the definition of an ‘EP’ in all senses, “Think About Me” is a pair of two radio-length house tunes. The title track, with its understated and faintly Timberlake-ish soul-pop vocal mantra and strong synthwave-ish bass, has a slightly retro feel about it but is very accessible.

Instrumental B-side “Lost” is less retro, and has a nice dynamic to it, languid in the groove but with some more energetic fills and builds that form a nice substitute verse-chorus structure, and a vocal noise that gives a nice character.

It’s a sweet little pair of radio-friendly tunes, gentle enough for daytime and clubbable too. More tracks or some extended mixes to make this release an *actual* EP would have been nice though.

Furtherset regards “To Live Tenderly Anew” as the third part of an unnamed trilogy of EP’s, but I’ve approached it as a standalone item, a 36-minute mini-album of electronica that takes some very familiar-sounding bleak and hollow electronic sounds- crisp noise, glitches, low hums and drones- and infuses it with a varying levels of energy and enthusiasm that lift it, to differing degrees, out of the usual plaintive fug and into a more attention-seeking foreground territory.

The title track loops quite bright melodic elements and feels like quite a statement of intent, a brightness also reflected in the final track, but there are also broodier pieces like “The Expanding Drama”. When these sonic elements are often used for atmospheric and ambient pieces, ‘drama’ is appropriate here- there are twists, drops and changes that make it feel like the accompanying soundtrack to a film we can’t see. It’s not high drama, certainly, but it is far from ambient.

There’s nothing percussive here but the pull of different rhythms is explored through the play of melodic patterns of different lengths, most notably in “The Logic Of A Secret” and escalating into “A Prelude To Infinite Directions”.

It’s a rich little electronica package with a lot of energy and attention to detail, and it’s certainly an enjoyable little journey.

Pitched firmly as techno from the normally heavy Korpus 9 label, the title track of the “Virtual Being” EP is almost as much progressive house as it is techno. Soft arpeggiating melodic patterns and a gently thrumming bassline are softer than I was expecting, though there’s certainly a richness to the low kick EQ that can’t be denied or ignored. There’s a sense of travelling that borders on urgency, but it doesn’t carry much attitude. The DJ Dextro mix injects more urgency and a more acid tinge, plus an unusual birdsong-like call sound that replaces some of the softer melodic parts.

The B-sides are more overtly and undeniably techno, with more of a thump to them, particularly the more kick-centric “Full Circle”, while “Madness” revolves around a dizzying but catchy central loop that’s simple but effective, and probably the best track of the pack.

Laden neither with lots of surprises nor lots of attitude, it’s a very polished EP that does wash over you if you don’t keep it in focus.