Alva Noto's
Xerrox series of albums take a break from the overwhelming glitchcore of some of his other releases (particularly ones that begin with Uni- or Trans-), instead opting to explore more ambient pastures. The series is particularly themed around copying and data manipulation, and previous volumes had a hazy, corroded edge to them.
Xerrox, Vol. 3, however, focuses on dreams and childhood memories, and is much more serene than the previous volumes, coming closer to
Alva Noto's work with
Ryuichi Sakamoto. Several tracks here do have buzzing,
Tim Hecker-like distortion, but it doesn't overshadow the calmly paced cinematic melodies. Tracks like the sparse "Xerrox 2ndevol2nd" are the most haunting work
Alva Noto's ever done, and the eight-minute centerpiece, "Xerrox Isola," is simply awe-inspiring. [
Vol. 3 was also released on LP.] ~ Paul Simpson