[Long Island Electrical Systems]
Members of the L.I.E.S. extended family seem to be pairing off lately. Bookworms and Steve Summers have just minted the Confused House label with a stellar three-tracker, and here, on You Only Live Once, Willie Burns (aka William Burnett) and Entro Senestre (aka Jon Beall) converge as Daywalker + CF. Burnett has enjoyed a career resurgence in the last few years thanks to some newly leftfield tactics, while Beall has racked up a few low-profile EPs of trippy, Legowelt-esque house of his own. Like the Bookworms and Steve Summers collaboration, You Only Live Once has a vivid, dreamy sensibility, as the producers’ contributions twist helix-like around each other.
The opening title track comes closest to Burnett’s own material, in its tense, off-kilter repetition. It features an interplay between an anemic arpeggio and a pattern of plinking tones, as smothered drums trip along underneath. The two producers seem to just be getting acquainted at first, as the following pieces offer a more expansive approach. “Insectorium” is a standout, as its beautifully gauzy synthwork and tumbling rhythm lend it a sublimely placid drift. “Easter,” meanwhile, is the closest anyone’s come to replicating Blondes’ swirling, slightly sinister chug. It seems to start mid-climb — it’s probably been cut out of a longer jam — and only intensifies as it progresses. “Chamber” is another inherently live jam. It’s also the most rhythm-driven piece, dominated by clattering, reverb-heavy drums as a spiky arpeggio weaves through the mix. Solid as “Chamber” is, it’s the record’s gorgeous midsection that truly signals the collaboration’s success.
Wow, this is some startling beautiful material.