Pete Swanson – Man with Potential

November 21, 2011 • Type

Pete Swanson is half of the legendary (and sadly disbanded) noise/drone duo Yellow Swans, who I've been a fan of for some time. Man with Potential isn't his first album, but it's his first on a more well-known label (I think) and first to get some decent publicity, so it seems. It's a very interesting listen, though probably not one that will appeal to many.

It's not hard to hear traces of the old Yellow Swans sound in this album—washes of droning synths and static are as prevalent as ever. The sound also includes densely-packed jumbles of clipped, glitchy electronic sounds, all of it backed by heavy, stilted bass beats. If it sounds like a bizarre combination, it is—although after a few listens as I've gotten used to it, and there are a lot of neat subtleties to be found somewhere in the chaos. It's interesting, if nothing else.

The album does get a bit repetitive, though, and each track is basically the same formula: start with the high-pitched glitchy noises, slowly evolve into the ambient droning, rinse and repeat. Yes, each track has its own sounds and textures, and it doesn't quite do the exact same thing every track, but still.

Anyway, it's still a decent album. I like how it straddles the gap between electronic music and straight-up noise, a fusion which I don't hear often but happen to like quite a bit. The textures and composition of such are well-done and mostly pleasant to listen to. I'm not enthralled, but it's definitely not bad and is worth a few listens, even if it doesn't live up to my impression of Yellow Swans.

Bonus review! The extra disc, entitled Man with Garbage, might actually be better than the main event. It's much darker, more sinister, and definitely harsher, though it still has the same basic makeup of Man with Potential (glitchy synths and droning noise). The electronic elements (like the house beats) are downplayed in favor of a more intense wall of noise, and (for me anyway) it's a bit more enjoyable.

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