Pixel: The Drive

Pixel
The Drive
Raster-Noton
2009-05-12

The third album from Denmark’s Jon “Pixel” Egeskov is a rare ambient concept road-trip album. All of the tracks are named after coordinates findable through Google Maps (track one is the Cape Canaveral NASA base in Florida). Of course, I generally like louder music with a progressive beat for my travels, while the sound of The Drive is often something like a heartbeat laid over the warble of old ceiling fans and amplifier hum. If I ever did pull this out on a road-trip, the majority of the car would likely fall asleep, so it is kind of dangerous in that respect.

Outside of the concept, it is a well-constructed chill album. A constant amplifier hum acts as a drone through which intensely stretched out string instruments bubble forth. Each track is given its sense of momentum by faint, lethargic bass and static pops rearranged into percussion. I certainly sets a mood, yet every time I listen to it, I can’t help but wish I was listening to Pole’s first three EPs instead.

RATING 6 / 10