I only finally understood Antony Hegarty's voice when I heard the sublime "Blind" by Hercules and Love Affair. With Hegarty's voice surrounded by lush instrumentation, I think I finally heard the moments of contrast between his voice and something bigger that I needed in order to understand that strange voice. Without that disco bolstering him, Hegarty always sounded lost, endlessly circling back on himself without ever gaining ground.Pat Grossi, who records as Active Child, seems to have solved this problem before it's ever pointed out to him. Grossi's silky falsetto (which recalls both Hegarty and Justin Vernon) is certainly strong, but it would be severely limited without the rippling electronics encircling him. The production here is incredible. Behind pastel-colored synth washes beats the black heart of a shuddering machine. The main beat echoes out laterally across the wide range of the mix, bounding in all directions. The effect, when coupled with Grossi's icy voice, is simultaneously soothing and unnerving.
You can get Active Child's latest cassette (this trend can stop right now) from Mirror Universe Tapes (which actually supports some great artists including the recently blogged-about Truman Peyote and Hula Hoop).
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