Jim Marlowe - Mirror Green Rotor in Profile CS (Medium Sound, 2024)
"Taking some time away from the aural revelation of Equipment Pointed Ankh, Louisville’s Jim Marlowe comes out swinging on his second solo record. Mirror Green Rotor in Profile is a groove machine that covers serious ground over the course of a mere 30 minutes. Following a long tradition of experimentalism, the artist flourishes the annals of the Avant-inclined with a series of astrally-tinged excursions in face-value beauty.
Chugging though the affair, Marlowe uncovers remains of Faust, Harry Hosono filtered through the lens of Kraftwerk, and John Cale (in an alternate universe where he didn’t have pop-star visions to attend ). This ain’t some cheap imitation, however. The nod to these forebearers are mere whispers among the cacophony of innovation that makes Mirror Green Rotor in Profile the first great record of the new year. And with that, Marlowe has stumbled upon a chamber-kosmische that prioritizes musicality over unwavering solemnity.
The tunes have clearly been thought out, but luckily not too much. Impulsive creativity embeds the nuances that hover atop the motorik foundations laid down by Marlowe. The result is an Avant-pop record that flutters in spontaneity as much as it chokes out in a litany of infectious groove. A fine descendent in the grand sonic lineage of eternal music, indeed." - J Rooney (Aquarium Drunkard)