2 out of 5

Label: Suction Records

Produced by: Fabrizio & Marco D’Arcangelo

This is better than the credit I’m giving it, but as a successor to the D’Arcangelo EP, II is such a pale comparison, its tracks not only lacking much distinction on their own terms, but even taking the glitch / chill construction of the previous release, these tunes are… iffily defined.

Callying Sybil is in an Analogue Bubblebath vibe, and is probably the best of the “harder” tracks here – EP’s A-side was all very harsh – but is pretty tame overall, and feels especially indebted to RDJ-style sounds than the D’Arcangelo brothers. Aom*2 is intended to be a more breathless piece of acid, and I’ll credit it with a good beat, it’s just pretty limited – how it starts is how it ends. And Qabbalah only groups with these other two tracks due to its clipped beat; its IDM rolls are somewhat of the Broken Toys school, but this doesn’t feel like a tune from Rephlex graduates – moreso that of some of the imitators who came in D’Arcangelo’s and others’ wakes.

Diagram V is acceptable acid, but the upbeat Diagram IX’s combo of melody and chipper synths finally feels like something original, and not carved out of scene tropes. Diagram XXII is kind of the more laidback bookend to match Sybil, but also bringing in some of pop of the preceding IX. Again, totally acceptable, just relatively indistinct.

II, as a standalone, has some moments, and is surely head-bobbing throughout. But: it’s pretty derivative IDM stuff, copping from Aphex a bit too heavily at points, and offering up somewhat undercooked versions of the harder and smoother electro D’Arcangelo does, generally, supremely well. If you then start comparing this to the EP to which it’s a successor, its positives become lesser, not really reflecting the sounds or even the distinct structure of that set.

(It is worth noting that this seems to be a compilation of sorts – tracks drawn from across time and sources – and not an intentional sequel to the EP.)