Following on from the breakup of “astral garage” duo ‘UNKWN’, electronic artist Chris Hanna has returned to solo status under the alias ‘OneKnown‘. Vocalist Gemma Dunleavy’s departure seems to have allowed Hanna room for musical exploration, and the latest offering ‘Blue Galaxy’ is his most experimental release to date.
The title track focuses around a simple atonal loop repeated endlessly, with waves of chords that subtly shift through tones. Added to this are stumbling drums, which seem to be constantly moving in and out of time. Somehow Hanna has found a way to assemble parts that shouldn’t fit together into a very intriguing whole.
‘Mistriot’ pulls back to into more familiar territory, atmospheric dubstep, complete with chopped vocals and vinyl crackles. It is probably closest to Hanna’s previous output, but when contrasted with the rest of the EP unfortunately ends up sounding slightly cautious.
The third track ‘Jecktify’ meanwhile sounds like some strange binary transmission aimed at the mythical Blue Galaxy, the Arecibo message with added production. Hi-hats and bleeps tap away in intricate counterpoint, creating a beautifully hypnotic effect.
It all ends rather sweetly with ‘Life In Marble’, a melancholic little synth arrangement which comes buried under layers of static, like a radio signal picked up from a planet long since abandoned.
Available via Bandcamp, the ‘Blue Galaxy EP’ is a must for fans of Hanna’s previous projects. ‘Oneknown’ is a continuation of his sound, but he seems to be pushing it in new directions. Where to next? We await an answer from the great unknown …
