The Republic

by 
AlbumFeb 24 / 201515 songs, 39m 7s
Ambient
Noteable

These 15 electronic instrumentals continue the adventurous soundscapes of Sam Prekop’s previous solo release, *Old Punch Card*. Both albums stand apart among his varied discography, including his work with The Sea and Cake, and *The Republic* particularly so. The first nine tracks were created for a video installation and work well as an interconnected noise piece. The last six tracks show more variety while still featuring only analog synthesizers and drum machines. On these tracks the music hisses, pops, and warbles while riding hypnotic grooves and static rhythms. The results are mesmerizing and experimental yet melodic enough to be approachable, warm, and inviting.

The Republic is the second album of modular synthesis from The Sea and Cake’s Sam Prekop. The album moves Prekop’s synthesizer compositions further into the realm of the accessible without abandoning the experimental legacy of the instrument. Regardless of the style he is working in, Sam Prekop’s music is always imbued with a sense of wide-eyed discovery and exploration. As the singer and guitarist of The Sea and Cake, Prekop has incorporated elements of traditional styles from around the world, expanding the public perception of what it means to be the leader of a pop band. In recent years, he has also established himself as a modular synthesist, building his instrument meticulously to find the perfect combination of oscillators, sequencers, limiters and filters to create a system that allows him to create sounds that are surprising and inviting. His new album The Republic is his latest synthesizer work, following 2010’s Old Punch Card, and showcases Prekop’s talent for creating expressive music through mechanical patterns, repetitions, and chance. Prekop’s innate gifts of melodic turns of phrase that have made him a revered songwriter are transferred into new forms in his synthesizer work, aided by the unpredictable melodic capabilities of analog sequencers, and The Republic is an exciting new chapter in his development as an accomplished synthesist. The first half of The Republic consists of songs that were originally created as a score for a video installation of the same name by David Hartt, which was shown at the David Nolan Gallery in New York. These pieces strike an impressive balance between control and spontaneity, seamlessly transitioning from abstraction and discord into passages of blissful harmonic consonance. The second half of the record consists of some of Prekop’s most warm and inviting synth work yet, built using ideas that worked better on their own as opposed to accompanying the installation. These songs have a sense of forward motion that is often missing in many recordings by modern modular synthesists, which Prekop attributes to his incorporation of the instrument into his writing process for The Sea and Cake’s acclaimed 2012 album Runner. The Republic is an entrancing album that moves Prekop’s synthesizer compositions further into the realm of the accessible without abandoning the experimental legacy of the instrument. The Republic was recorded in Prekop’s home studio in Chicago during the early months of 2014. Although he has primarily only performed synthesizer sets in Chicago, in part due to the extensive process of setting up and dismantling the instrument, he plans to perform works incorporating elements of The Republic throughout the US in 2015.

7.4 / 10

The Sea and Cake vocalist returns with his second album of solo electronic music in five years, and it has many things in common with the last one. Once again, the predominant theme is the emotional possibilities of the modular synthesizer.

The gently experimental nature of Sam Prekop's lengthy discography has always led to some interesting twists in sound, but even those well versed in his adventurous catalog weren't expecting the extreme shift that happened with 2010 solo album Old Punch Card.

7 / 10

Ditching his customary melodies and guitars for analog synthesizers and oscillators, Sam Prekop's third solo album, 2010's Old Punch Card, a...

7 / 10

Album Reviews: Sam Prekop - The Republic