Whipping noise into floor-ready jams is no small task. Jonathan Ford of Minneapolis (who goes by Dissociate) seems preternaturally talented in that area. Yeah, these are some awesome electronic flights draped over tight beats, but the samples that fuel those electronics are often abrasive.

Dissociate Opt Out (Give/Take)

There's no need to go looking for an edge here. This entire set is balanced on knives. The melodies devolve, wander in chaos and eventually reform. Most of the time. This is one of the most unpredictable electronic albums I've heard in a while. Conventions are respected, except for the times when they aren't. There are few patterns to be discerned.

The sound is almost warm. Maybe it's the noise-based sampling, or maybe it's the way the beats keep calling out insistently. Whatever the reason, this set goes down easily--despite the incessant experimentation.

The whole is much greater than the sum of the parts. Dissociate is skilled at making even the most repulsive sounds accessible. This sucker bores into the brain quickly and doesn't relent. Savory and sweet, all at once.

Jon Worley