- Music
- 19 Feb 10
Astonishing debut from Dublin-based mystery man
You gotta love a guy who gets shit done. With six EPs and two short film soundtracks to his name, Hunter-Gatherer is an electronically-minded wunderlad from some part of Dublin who composed, recorded and produced his full-length debut, also designing some of the cover art and presumably, pressing the discs himself with a hand-made duplicator.
I Dreamed I Was A Footstep In The Trail Of A Murderer is clearly the product of late nights, darkened rooms and personal peculiarities. The oddity is only sweetened by a feeling of never knowing quite what you’re listening to: white noise or static, rain or racing cars, steel drums or the chime of a grandfather clock. From the head-spinning whir of ‘Recovery Friend’ to the cleverly-titled and oddly disturbing ‘Nerve-Ending Love’, I Dreamed… combines Kraftwerk-esque minimal synth with thoroughly original melodies.
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In managing to be both emotive and calming, Hunter-Gatherer’s Kid A-esque electronica has struck a chord. He’s not the first person to make sounds like this, or to do it all by himself. But he’s one of the best we’ve heard in a long time.