Hermeros - In the sky spinning circles on the ground we spin like them/Bird Moon Sun

Hermeros

In the sky spinning circles on the ground we spin like them/Bird Moon Sun
self-released; 2015

3.2 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Alex Carr aka Hermeros is a solo producer from Sydney, Australia who may be onto to something with his music but isn’t quite there yet. He is an electronic artist who makes various collages of sound that can be compared to artists such as Four Tet and Alog. Carr has good ideas and a lot of them work but the he still has a long way to go in the way of how they are implemented. When it comes to music like this where the attention to detail matters, things like frequency allocation, compression and separation are integral to the experience. To be frank Bird Moon Sun and In the sky spinning circles on the ground we spin like them would be a much better experience if it was re-mixed and there was separation. The songs exist within the muddy lower end of the frequency spectrum and individual elements never escape. 

Bird Moon Sun opens with “Wooden Ship” which has some of the most creative work you will hear. Carr implements a backwards-sounding sample that combines with a jarring beat. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the elements and it points to better things to come from Carr.

The next track “Garden Green” contains more backwards-sounding sample but this time there is no percussion. It’s a slightly enjoyable track but more or less feels like filler. The next track “You better run” reminded me of Amon Tobin but the mix was so bad it was hard to fully appreciate. The drums in particular were in need of treatment. I could barely hear the kick drum and the snare was too loud and contained a number of offending frequencies.

“Always Dimension” is a slow moving, almost jazzy sounding piece. As before Carr demonstrates he has good ideas in terms of structure. Be warned “Forest” is obnoxiously louder than all the preceding tracks. I thought it blew out my speakers.

In the sky spinning circles on the ground we spin like works better then Bird Moon Sun because there is less percussion and fewer elements. From a sonic perspective "Sammu-ramat" is Carr's finest achievement. Another mild success is "Dandelion" which is medatative blends of tones. He delves in minimal territory with "We were surrounded" while "Mystery Boat" shows inventive production techniques. 

Does Carr have what it takes to hang out with the elite electronic producers? Who knows but as of right now he isn’t there. Before Carr works any further on making songs he should either team up with an engineer or learn a couple of things about recording, mixing and mastering. No matter how good the songs are they won’t be appreciated unless the quality of the recordings are improved. 

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