By Kevin Scott
One of the beauties of electronic music is that you can make a lot happen without a lot of people and that's certainly the case with this Glasgow duo. Atom Tree is the brainchild of Shaun Canning, having started life as a solo Soundcloud project last year before being joined by percussionist Michael Robertson, and if this promising EP is anything to go by, 2014 could be a big year for the band.
The lead track on the Tide of Thorns EP, 'Die For Your Love', is a beautiful love letter to soundscaping. Staggered keys and a drum machine heartbeat drive a multi-layered track that swoons from its opening into a second movement that picks up the pace and squeezes a wrought emotion out of your speakers. It evokes a movie score written specifically for that scene where the plucky protagonist finally beats the odds.
Indeed it would be intriguing to see how Atom Tree got on if presented with a film to soundtrack, as they seem to write music an in emotive fashion that is well-suited for cinema. Robertson merits a mention too with a series of beats that would fit snuggly onto anything Jon Hopkins has recorded.
Desired Effect follows with guest vocals from Discopolis' Fergus Cook. The track starts with comforting chimes and bells which are reminiscent of Feist in places. While a similar level of attention has gone into the music, the melody matches it with Cook's understated vocal.
Working solidly with Canning's keys and sampling, title track, 'Tide of Thorns' follows in the same vein with the use of a heavily sampled vocal buried deep into the mix until it sounds like a tortured angel. It's harrowing stuff yet compelling. As is closer, 'P.S.', which again highlights the band's ear for composition. Its bends and shapes sounds around central beats, achieving a distinctive hook that highlights the maturity and potential of this band.
