141414 is a relatively new music label focusing on the more experimental side of electronic music. Non-descript and bare-bones in nature, the netlabel website gives off an impression of mystery, where only the bare minimum of information is given. Truthfully, I would have given the site a pass if I wasn’t invited by the netlabel owner to take a look into their catalog. And I wasn’t disappointed by most of what I found. There was experimentation but there was also structure. Since, my tastes didn’t wander too far into the experimental realm, I settled on reviewing a lo-fi pop electronica album from the site.

Between Cathedrals is one of the artists on 141414. The album The End All is his second release. The first was more of an EP clocking in at 3 tracks. The End All, although short, is a more fleshed out effort. If you’re expecting straight up pop-electronica tunes from this album, then you’ll be surprised as there is more to the album than that. In line with the label’s more experimental nature, the album is pop electronica with a tinge of subtle experimentation.

The album starts off well enough with the laid back sounding track, The Be All. Droning textures and crisp drums combined with some interesting rhythmic melodic structures and a pop structure make this into a nice pick me up sort of track. The transitions were really great and the track exploded into a great variety of soothing harmonies each time.

The second track, Make Ice, is not surprisingly more of the same. I actually found it to be somewhat echoing the tone of the first track with its similar main melody. It is on the third track that Between Cathedrals starts to surprise.

A track devoid of any sort of percussion, Elboliquor introduces us to some nice melody and harmony interplay. This sets us up for the fourth track, Slow-wave Sleep where we’re treated to even more melody and harmony. This time, it’s just messier and reminds me of slightly jumbled up Irish bag pipe playing. Disconcerted at first, I was about to write it off as just another failed experiment of random melodies all chunked together. After listening a few times, I’ve since grown somewhat fond of the contrast this track provides to the rest of the album.

It all ends with The End All, a drum-and-bass-infused pop electronica track is undoubtedly different. A nice rhythmic change from all the laid back drumming of the rest of the album.

In conclusion, The End All is a solid effort that sounds familiar, yet different with a personal touch. Between Cathedrals shows a lot of potential and I would definitely love to find out how this artist develops in the future. It’s really just a fun album to listen to.

Thanks to the netlabel owner at 141414 for the recommendations.

Netlabel: 141414