[Macro]

Structurally, electronic music tends to be relatively plain. Given its affiliation with clubs and dancing, this shouldn’t bother anyone. It’s cheering, however, when an artist chooses to do something a little different. Xenomorph / Vespertilio, Peter Kruder’s latest for Macro, does exactly that. Side-stepping functional music’s penchant for single themes and slight variations on them, both tracks consist of several interlinked sketches, Kruder slowly shifting various ideas in and out of frame but still presenting two coherent, dance-ready wholes.

In “Xenomorph,” the only real constants are its meek analog bass line and what sounds like a steely, ringing oud riff. The first couple of minutes, for example, are mostly filled with consonant organ noodling. Then in the middle, extended dial-tone-like drones spread headily about. It’s the final third, however, that holds the most thrills, transitioning to heavy, tribalistic drums and startling gong hits. Sounds like a real clusterfuck, right? It’s not; nothing ever feels gimmicky or out of place.

“Vespertilio” is darker and more focused. This time, the constants are a dreary strummed guitar and irrepressibly springy synth. As they chug inexorably along, Kruder throws in string sections, a ghostly choir, patches of metallic treble, and other such oddities. In both tracks, this rambling progression feels reminiscent of Gavin Russom and/or his Black Meteoric Star moniker. It’s more than just that, though; some of Kruder’s sounds have a similarly unique quality, pointing toward the possible use of modular synthesis (or else mastery of non-modular methods). These highly individual elements — and the ramshackle-yet-logical way in which they’re arranged — make Xenomorph / Vespertilio one of Kruder’s more exciting releases to date.