Global Goon – Plastic Orchestra 8.4

                Global Goon’s music exists in a whole other world. Despite what the rest of IDM and music in general did, Global Goon has essentially carved out an exclusive niche for himself. When IDM fizzled out and its main practitioners gave up, Global Goon kept going. The mix of IDM and folk on ‘Plastic Orchestra’ brings to mind a moodier version of Goodiepal. What is contained within this short, short album is a sense of simple calm with the world. 

                ‘Dance Seven’ gives the listener a good idea of what they are in for: seemingly naïve melodies that gradually snowball in complexity. The strumming is particularly sweet as it is nicely complemented by the uncluttered synthesizer and minor percussive elements. Indeed the strumming keeps time more than any beat. Unlike his peers Global Goon is almost completely unconcerned with any form of a beat workout. He relies on the natural rhythm formed by his fractured grooves. ‘G.O.L.D.’ is typical of this approach: seemingly unrelated sounds merge together to form a cohesive whole.  Meanwhile the duo songs of ‘Morphon Diezepad’ and ‘Clanging Buttress’ give a sense of narrative. The former sets up a rather sad atmosphere while the latter creates a feeling of hope, of triumph. 

                The music on here may seem overly simple at first, indeed, almost childlike. Yet upon closer inspection it serves as a ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ for music. While it appears so simple there are complicated emotions beneath the calm. Overall ‘Plastic Orchestra’ is a testament to someone doing his own thing for so long and doing it so well.