Anemones

Catherine Backhouses primarily self-released discography as Xylitol has generally consisted of lo-fi, home-recorded experiments made using D.I.Y. electronics, often recalling early-80s minimal wave cassettes as well as the mischief of 2000s-era glitch/electro acts like DAT Politics. A devoted fan of Krautrock (she was a longtime resident DJ at a London club called Kosmische) and Yugoslav new wave (she co-hosts a radio show called Slav to the Rhythm and is co-writing a book about the culture), she also has roots in jungle and hardcore, which she grew up listening to in the 90s. After appearing on Planet Mu in 2022, remixing label boss Micro-ziqs song "Goodbye," Anemones marks her first album for the label, and it dives headfirst into breakbeat-driven dance music while maintaining the homespun curiosity of her earlier recordings. Anemones is a Planet Mu release through and through, filled with crunchy (and sometimes bombastically heavy) breakbeats and cerebral melodies, while being playful and exploratory at the same time. There are touches of early-90s breakbeat hardcore melodies in tracks like "Okko," while "Dobro Jutro" rushes to another point in the continuum and embraces two-step garage. "Moebius" goes all out, with Amen breaks smashing away for nearly ten minutes as cosmic synth melodies continually levitate. "Monte Mare" similarly has starry, shimmering arpeggios, though with much lighter breaks. Fusing all of the most exciting parts of her favorite types of music, Xylitol has created a fascinating, gleefully surprising work. ~ Paul Simpson