To the best of my knowledge nobody has authored an electronic album about confectionary. Aphex Twin hasn’t done a Selected Ambient Chocolate Works. Brian Eno’s sprawling back catalogue doesn’t feature any homage to sweets.
Dunk Murphy, aka Sunken Foal, is an electronic artist who is well versed in what he calls the "occult language of the synthesiser". For over a decade, Murphy has pursued numerous electric dreams, launching music on Planet Mu and with the 101 Beats Per Minute collective, releasing a bunch of albums and tonnes of EPs, in addition to considerable output as one half of the duo Ambulance.
Hexose is Murphy’s seventh album as Sunken Foal, taking its title from the name for sugars comprising glucose, galactose, and fructose. Hence, the track titles include Softies, Dark Bounty and Instant Whip.
The music is as delicately layered as any chocolate treat. The opening track, Caramac, starts in lush Boards of Canada territory, before opening out into a delicious arrangement of widescreen electronica. Yazd Pashmak, named after an Iranian syrup-based dessert, twists things slightly into odd minimal funk. Barley Stick certainly isn't any more traditional, a twinkling electronic mini-epic and the longest sweet – sorry, I mean track – on Hexose.
While there are pleasant shades of classic Warp acts, Murphy’s swirling electronica dances to his own sweet beat and fashions a finely crafted album of sweet sonic delights to taste and savour. One of Ireland’s most prolific and accomplished producers has delivered the goods yet again.
