Like a buzzing concoction of plaster molded jigsaw, the sound of this abstract and experimental album descends on a creaky base board of musique concrète and gets nailed with percussive staples. The man behind this sound effect rich “soundtrack for late nights/early mornings” is Chris Reid, who goes by the name of Wurlitztraction. Reid compiled his collection of field recordings and unused studio manipulations from the soundtrack pieces he was producing for short films and animations, and wrapped this into a composition, The Star Lit Numbers On Her Fingers. It soon began taking a shape of its own, complemented with rich sound design, glitching electro-acoustic beats and a gentle push towards a darker sonic side of rhythmic noise and experimental electronica.
It seems that the patterns never repeat, the melodies never blossom, and the haphazard ticks reappear here and there in a schizophrenic mania of a constantly twitching mass of a dying brain. And Reid doesn’t stop there. Here comes in a bass guitar, acoustic drums, and industrial hits with an occasional vibraphone, trip-hop beat and a jittery feedback.
Overall it’s pretty difficult to pinpoint the style behind Reid’s music [and that’s a good thing], which is why I hold on to describing tiny mementos throughout the album. The Star Lit Numbers On Her Fingers is Reid’s second release on Portuguese net-label, Enough Records, and is available for download for free from the site and scene dot org (catalog number enrmp138). Reid has also previously released an album titled, Lucidity Cue, on the same label.
