Orqid, “Civilizations” (Disco Couture)
Veteran Seattle producer and Patchwerks co-owner Tom Butcher’s latest project Orqid finds him in an introspective, romantic electro-pop guise, with some detours into deep ambience. His 2016 single, Ideology, introduced this move from Butcher’s previous techno- and electro-oriented productions under the alias Codebase. The lead single on Orqid’s new Tenderness album, “Tenderness,” presents Butcher as a blend of Depeche Mode vocalist Dave Gahan and James Blake, crooning about his need for the titular subject over a luxurious, soft-focus smear of space-dusted synth. “Our Love” conjures a funky, late-night-boudoir scenario that would make Barry White proud. But the highlights for me are the spacious, grandly melodic ambient pieces such as “Ritual,” “Melting Heart,” “Analytica,” and “Civilizations.”
“Civilizations” is the final track on Tenderness, and boy, is it climactic; its celestial grandeur belongs on a large silver screen and heard in Dolby. Conveying a profound peacefulness and a sense of solemn resolution, “Civilizations” deserves to score a momentous denouement in a film by a respected director—say, Werner Herzog, Lars von Trier, or Panos Cosmatos. It’s ready for the cinema’s major leagues. Check it out after the jump.
Orqid’s record-release party is tonight at Timbre Room, with support from Raica, Second Guest, and video artist Marcell Marias.
