HELIOS - Unleft - ( Unseen Records | 2009 )

On Unleft, Keith Kenniff collects previously unreleased Helios material recorded between 2000 and 2009, sequencing the resultant tracks as a self-contained album. The resultant fifty minutes plays out as a wonderfully varied sequence that focusses on melodically resonant electronic music. You'll hear some of the compositional techniques Kenniff has become known for at work, cutting a tuneful, glitched-up swathe through opener Convivium, while the crunchily filtered, slow-core beats of Friedel and Distance channel a hazy, opiated quality. Taking this a little further, the creaking deep bass and beautiful electronic post-rock of Cross The Ocean is touched by the influence of Boards Of Canada, something that could also be said of the downtempo, beat-heavy ambience of Bounce Dive, though there's a more playful and openly tuneful quality to Kenniff's music compared to that of the Brothers Eoin, something highlighted by the airier, brighter productions of the Portlander's music.  There's also a pronounced cinematic quality to all this, and you can well imagine Kenniff being recruited to score a film at some point down the line, especially given beautifully crafted, acoustic guitar-driven pieces like South Tree or the upbeat, piano-heavy The Morning Room, both of which showcase this side of his output very strongly.            

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