| Christopher Horne, who abbreviates his name by stopping it midway with a period (“Christ.”), is in an interesting position. His completed catalogue of music has earned him such high praise that it is difficult for his audience to look forward without first looking back. Horne has built a reputation for himself, as Christ., with a series of outstanding releases. His collaborative work has strengthened his name as well. Horne has done remixes for such notable artists as Meg and Alias & Tarsier and was once a member of the famous Boards of Canada.
So how does Horn live up to his past accomplishments? By seamlessly expanding on them. Bike is Christ.’s first release following the well-received Blue Shift Emissions, a full-length record that was released earlier this year. Each of the 5 songs on Bike could easily have made their way onto that album’s tracklisting. The two are so similar, in fact, that some may be disappointed by the EP’s lack of experimentation. But with such well-written songs, it hardly matters.
Bike starts off with quivering keys and stacks of jittery beats on “Round the Rigg”. Then, “Glenbrook” drops heavy, downtempo rhythms over a long, reworked sample from a child’s audio storybook. Track 3, “Chopper”, increases the speed, slightly, and hits the listener with a more direct collection of soft smacks and tonal blips. “Cycling Proficiency” is a beatless interlude. Here, the simplicity of Christ.’s gorgeous arrangements take the front stage. It is the perfect introduction for the EP’s final track, “Gresham Flyer Dreams.” This song is a combination of all that has preceded it; floating drums, careful vocal sampling, washing synths, punctuating changes, and beautiful melodies.
Christ. is not trying to overwhelm his listeners with the advertised complexities that many of his contemporaries rely on. Instead, he flawlessly delivers subtle intricacies. Horne arranges his interwoven rhythms and melodies to exhibit a quiet artfulness. Layers and layers of sounds, expertly stitched together, climb atop and gently roll over one another. His graceful cascades of both warm and cool synths envelope into a comfortable atmosphere. He creates another place, an otherworldly existence, and his listeners will never want to leave. Reviewed
by: Richie Corelli
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