Cosmically A Shambles

June 13, 2025

Electronic / Ambient

#ambient#electronica#modular#modular synth#psychedelic#Preston

Never one to sit still for long periods of time, the mercurial modular synth sorcerer Stephen James Buckley recklessly extends his Polypores universe into uncharted territory with his debut album for Crackedankles Records. Opening with the joyous pounding stomp of Lungs And Limbs, then careening headlong into the awkwardly skittish bone-dance of leading single Whorl, the characteristic coiling sequences and raw analog oscillators are propelled by crooked machine beats and polyrhythmic percussive elements. Unsatisfied with the robotic precision that usually characterises electronic music, Buckley creates music with a flawed humanity to it, all clattering bones and over-stimulated heartbeats. While skilfully maintaining the melodic nuance of his previous work, this album is as much for the body as it is for the brain. Although created with a modular synth and drum machines, it shares more DNA with psych, krautrock, and cosmic jazz than it does with traditionally electronic genres. From the hypnotic minimalist repetition of Timeless Spirals Of The Motherfungus to the slurred wonk of Spoonbender via the modular-synth-jazz magick carpet ride of Untethered, and ending with the lurching seasick psychedelia of Hazy Dazy, Crackedankles are proud to facilitate the birth of the next stage in the evolution of Polypores. It’s scuzzed up and saturated, pretty at times, but broken in all the right places. And, most importantly, it’s the first electronic album to quote This Is Spinal Tap.