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Geoff White is yet another modern electronic musician whose releases, while critically well-received, haven’t quite earned him his own section in most record stores. In 2004, White adopted the Aeroc moniker while attempting to further the scope of his already varied discography.
Viscous Solid showcases many of the devices en vogue at the moment. Gooey beats with just a hint of smudging around the edges do their work in earnest, providing an adequate backdrop for Aeroc’s soothing melodies. Treated acoustic guitar is all the rage these days, and most of White’s melodic passages make use of the increasingly popular formula. Hazy volume swells and muted slivers of processed guitar gather lazily, break apart, and reform, ad infinitum. It all sounds perfectly lovely - as do many releases of its ilk - but it is ultimately tough to distinguish Viscous Solid’s intent from its influences.
Things take a promising turn midway through the disc; the Múm-by numbers beats disappear, replaced by ambient textures. Here, White proves that he understands a much larger picture, and his layers of sound are well-formed and sometimes unique. When the space is finally invaded by a re-emergence of rhythm on the track “Rusted Dress Up,” the producer finally seems to have temporarily solved the problem of identity. The track is well-produced, with clarity and decay sharing the same quarters. The song's beat phrasing is also refreshingly exclusive; a cookie jar of percussive treats.
“Blue Eyed Bitter” was probably crafted as the album’s centerpiece, as it features the most obvious and un-manipulated sounds on the record. A gently strummed acoustic goes through the motions of trying to convince the listener that this guy is not just a mouse-clicker, he’s also a real musician. The chord progression sounds like something off Led Zeppelin III. A frat-boy groove and a guitar tag that frankly belongs on a Steely Dan record do nothing to alleviate the track’s sore-thumb syndrome.
Taken as a whole, Aeroc’s Viscous Solid is a quiet charmer with moments of brilliance and a few puzzling tangents. It’s easy to be seduced by the producer’s obvious gifts with texture and rhythm, but it’s hard to imagine going back for seconds. With its ace production and mellow hues, the record might even hold up over the years, if anyone remembers to listen to it. By Casey Rae-Hunter
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View all articles by Casey Rae-Hunter