'Launched in 2010, ANN is an independent music project focusing on experimental approaches to electronic music-making. Like all experiments, there will be ‘mistakes’, and, rather than discarding them, ANN embraces these as integral the process. Beauty in the imperfection.
From the jumping-off point of minimal techno, elements of jazz, drone and dub are added to the mix, overlapping and morphing one another, deconstructing the typical rhythms and phrases of these genres until, through repetition, new forms emerge.
But from here, who knows where?'
- Andrew Sherwell
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'[...] This one radically leads the listener in deep abstract / mental spaces, emphasising a liminal form of sensorial experience, passing from anxiety, isolationism to uplifting blissful moments. metronomic electronic percolations punctuate the more liquid inflected ambiences with cold precision. An eerie feeling of dislocation floats upon the ensemble. [...]'
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www.igloomag.com
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'[...] Personally I found “Orange” a bit of a highlight, as it takes its techno and electronica elements and points them in a slightly more playful and retro direction, resulting in something that sounds faintly Radiophonic Workshop-ish. However there’s something just a touch nondescript in some of the sounds and moods here, with tracks like “Vermilion” arguably a little wishy-washy and lacking any kind of distinct selling point, so don’t hunt this out if looking to be challenged or illuminated. [...]'
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www.chaindlk.com
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'[...] A common downfall when attempting to translate a listening experience into words is to focus on the technical side of the music-making process, or to establish comparisons with other artists prematurely. ‘Certain Colors’ provides enough ambiguity and intrigue to where these things don’t matter. The album becomes what both artist and label intended: a unique and complex listening experience.'
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www.irregularcrates.com
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'[...] Once Ocre begins there’s a bolder set of building blocks and scattered microbeats. While in no way a dance track whatsoever it does refer to the whole late 90’s/00’s era of Raster-Noton. The piece feels betwixt, transitional within the present context here. It does set the listener up for the gorgeously elusive, and much brighter, Orange. Amid the minimalist aesthetic here is a low down funk track awaiting to break from the surface. Infectious. [...]'
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www.toneshift.net
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'[...] Which does not mean that Certain Colors sounds is a collection of deliberate mistakes. On the contrary: the seven tracks (each named after a colour, obviously) sound well balanced and have a great depth and atmosphere. [...]'
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www.ambientblog.net
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'[...] Sein Tonträger-Debüt Certain Colors (Seasides On Postcards) verknüpft zwei altbekannte Stile und spezifische Umgangsformen mit Sound, nämlich Dark Ambient und Glitch zu einem frisch klingenden Hybriden. Vermutlich ist es dieser unbeschwerte Umgang mit Soundquellen, der ANNs Ambient so modern und zeitgemäß wirken lässt. [...]'
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www.groove.de
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'ANN is a musical project and not just one lady called Ann. The mysterious makers behind the project are experimental in their approach, allowing all sorts into the mix from minimal techno, elements of jazz, drone, dub and even their mistakes. 'Certain Colours' is a project interested in experimentation and embracing the mistakes we make.'
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www.normanrecords.com
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'[...] With "Certain Colors" by ANN (Marcus Block) they present a challenging and rewarding album which leads the listener in deep abstract / mental spaces, emphasising a liminal form of sensorial experience, passing from anxiety, isolationism to uplifting blissful moments.'
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www.databloem.com
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'Sette tonalità cromatiche liminari identificano ciascuna delle
tracce raccolte in Certain Colors, focalizzate su un approccio
eterodosso alla manipolazione elettronica, coerente con la missione
del progetto ANN, condotto da circa un decennio dal musicista e
produttore Marcus Block. Elevando crepitanti glitch a parte integrante di una tavolozza di iterazioni minimali e decostruite cadenze ritmiche, il lavoro effonde calde sfumature dub su un elusivo substrato di grigi
drone. Lo screziato affresco che ne risulta è una combinazione di
oscillazioni puntiformi e texture granulose, che descrive orizzonti
notturni rischiarati da VAPORI DI SODIO.'
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www.rockerilla.com (June 2019 issue)
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