“The series of final passes performed by a matador preparatory to killing a bull in a bullfight,” is the definition of faena which Tim Koch, the Adelaide based electronic music producer, cites on his website. Is this a concept album? This listener isn’t sure what the relationship between the blood drawing Spanish faena and the floaty ambient tracks found on this album could be…. maybe it is the ritualistic almost religious quality found in both?

Regardless, each of the 17 units of sound found here is a delicate interplay of lo-tech electronic samples that feel simultaneously electronic and organic. While there is a distinct digital aesthetic and metallic glitchiness going on, the rhythm and repetition feels very much of nature, which lends a soothing quality to even the most heavily synthesised pieces. Take the track Groove 90 for instance. It is dominated by the low hum and bussle of people occupying digital spaces yet underlying this is an unforced rhythm reminiscent of the instinctive ebb and flow of nature.

There are also some more heavily percussive tracks on the album like Macrome and Attery Bop. Attery Bop has a more regimented pace with the beats predominately driving the track and generally what Koch has created here is a darker layering of sound that possesses little of the airy and spacious quality characterising most of the production. While Koch demonstrates he is not all weightless ambiance I do think his movement between light and dark lacks a bit of tension and hence the ability to emotionally move this listener. The album is actually more reminiscent of a dream state or other semi-detached mind space.

This is true of his use of vocals also. While Koch employs the voice very effectively to create atmosphere, even when in the foreground they are not particularly emotive and again they seem the product of more semi-detached states. The vocals on Blue and Grey are a prominent feature and their sweetness lends a real ethereal quality to what is a beautiful track, but again, does not make the piece of music more moving, which may or may not be Koch’s intent.

Lending to this detached or disjointed quality is the handful of 1-2 minute sketches of sound, which are interspersed throughout the album. Despite being so short, these postcard audio units are not jarring as they are stylistically similar to the lengthier tracks. They seem more like transitory glimpses of different moments – a passing mood or image or sometimes just an interlude in time. They are less structurally developed and produced.

All in all, Faena is a pleasant listening experience conducive to dreamy headspaces, making it a perfect r&r album really. Furthermore, you can tell that the delicate treatment of sound is the product of an artist who is creatively engaged in the process of making music. Faena is a solid demonstration of Koch’s experience and creativity behind the desk, however, what this album doesn’t do is move the electronic production scale of inventiveness nor significantly emotionally inspire this listener.