Adam Betts - Colossal Squid

Chaos and music go great together. Almost like wine and cheese, just with more craziness and less taste. Adam Betts' new record Colossal Squid brings chaos to a sonic level.

Colossal Squid is an experiment. It's electronica set on madness with live drums to go with it - it comes in all forms. There's the glitchy, rabid attack of opening track 'Drumbones,' pounding electronic drums barraging the track until synthesizers kick the track into a more approachable structure, and there's the more soothing ambience of 'Aneek,' distorted synths washing over the innocent keyboard synths as they bounce curiously. It's the punchier side of the record that tends to stick out more, however: 'Winbop' progresses powerful with quick drumming, and 'Hero Shit' maintains a rigid structure with the endless vocal loops.

The album is cool, but there are moments where its purpose becomes skewed. Unless going into an album like this expecting something that's nothing more than chaos, you might find yourself searching for purpose. There are many times where the album feels like drum practice for Adam Betts, his beats carrying the tracks through but ultimately summating to a jumble of snare hits. The album itself was recorded entirely from sampling using Ableton and a drum kit, so in a way, yes, it is a drumming experiment. But when does it become more than that? It's hard to find that area once you see that edge to the record.

Adam Betts is a great musician, but Colossal Squid may be a bit of a gimmick. The musicianship is there, but purpose other than showing off isn't very clear. The chaos is tangible, but where does it lose meaning? That's for you to decide.

Favorite Track: Drumbones

Least Favorite Tracks: Hero Shit, Tadala

Rating: 61 / 100