by Myles Dunhill (@MylesDunhill)
Patrick Mitchell aka Dusty Patches hasn’t just been keeping himself busy playing in numerous Chicago rock outfits as of late, turns out he also likes to dive deep into modular synthesizers in his spare time and the results are quite staggering. Fusing together hip-hop beats with fluid synth lines, Filthy Four Track Machine I + II, doesn’t exactly sound like the kind of self-indulgence of a man lost in his basement studio, but on one level that is exactly what springs to mind when thinking about the meticulous creation of these melodic experiments. Forged deep in the late-night void, the music is at once dizzying and propulsive, managing to glisten as much as it grooves.
Collecting seventeen gems from the vault, these tuneful and imaginative meanderings lightly touch on a variety of genres influenced only by personal preference and individual taste. A particularly standout track, "In the Dark," which features Tatyana Gaona and Nnamdi Ogbonnaya on vocal duties, encompasses the flexibility of the vision showcased here. There is not a mundane moment or throwaway on this lengthy compilation, just absolute free range creative abandon being harnessed in real time with all of the best moments making the cut. Taken as a whole, Filthy Four Track Machine I + II, delivers the goods and might inspire you to jump headfirst into the world of modular synth composition yourself, just don’t expect your output to sound half as inspired as Mitchell’s.
Dusty Patches' Filthy Four Track Tape Machine I + II is out February 5th via Sooper Records.