Upon the Black Dog's demise, Handley and Turner split with erstwhile pal Ken Downie to work on their longtime fixation, Plaid. P-Brane further explores the territory the duo explored on its previous album Double Figure, on which the ambient overtones of Brian Eno and cult soundtrack composer Vangelis serve as a raw canvas for hip-hop beats, digital noise explosions and the most gossamer of melodies. The lead track, "Coat," begins just this way, with mellow piano tones echoing softly before a mechanical hip-hop beat cracks in to get things going. But instead of featuring the rhymes of an MC over this backbone, Plaid inserts a dark, aching synthesizer melody that wafts over the frantic percussion bubbling just below the surface. This juxtaposition of sonic textures permeates P-Brane. "Diddymousedid" is childlike chime music countered by the bouncy syncopated rhythms reminiscent of the duo's Black Dog days, while "Stills" marries dreamy harp-like arpeggios to fancy jazz drum breaks and shifting time signatures.
It's these allusions to the beloved Black Dog project that keep seasoned electronic music aficionados coming back — and Plaid's audience continues to grow with each release, as Turner and Handley push those older ideas into fantastic new directions. A great release in its own right, P-Brane embraces the axiom that, to remain musically and culturally relevant, you have to push forward as much as you look back
