ccomplished? Yes. Derivative? Definitely, and frankly too much so. Falling squarely within the ‘warm electronica’ ranks, Tim Martin’s sophomore full-length Polytuft-Tech evokes Phonem and Arovane, with Martin sharing Elliot Perkins’ penchant for squelchy beats (as on ‘Vacado,’ ‘Altitude,’ and ‘Flex-I’) and Uwe Zahn’s bent for coupling clicking drum patterns with simple, soothing melodies. Other influences are present but to a lesser degree; the congealing percussion patterns and synth melodies on ‘Through Me,’ for example, recalls early Autechre. Some tracks, however, evidence slight traces of uniqueness. ‘Frma,’ for instance, uses an Arovane-like beat pattern but combined with a shimmering haze of electronics and a fuzzy, distorted bass which give it a distinctive quality. The funky electro-beat underpinning the melodic clusters on ‘Never Unsure’ is memorable also. In general, Martin’s electronica is well-crafted, but often its degree of derivativeness reaches questionable proportions. The gentle ‘Not Here,’ for example, is so reminiscent of Arovane’s sound and compositional style that it could have been lifted straight off of Atol Scrap or Icol Diston.


While hardly an advance in terms of innovation, on the positive side Polytuft-Tech does offer sixteen tracks of glistening electronics that fans of Arovane, Ulrich Schnauss, and Christian Kleine will enjoy. And if one were making a virgin listening foray into the melodic electronica genre, Martin’s recording as an ideal exemplar of the style would be the perfect introduction. But for those already familiar with the genre and its major players, it’s less impressive for being so bereft of originality. On his next outing, Martin would do well to move beyond his admittedly towering influences and try \to produce music that is more completely his own. No matter how expertly the music on Polytuft-Tech is crafted, its value is diminished considerably when it apes other artists’ styles to such a degree. If anything, the recording’s lack of originality leads one to wonder whether it’s the genre itself that’s fully played out or if it’s merely a lack of originality on Martin’s part. It’s more likely the latter, that he hasn’t yet developed a sufficiently strong musical signature to claim some small part of the genre’s territory as his own. It’s a shame that Martin’s considerable programming and arranging skills, so clearly in evidence on Polytuft-Tech, are not matched by a personal style of equal distinctiveness.