6 years on from his last release under the moniker on Planet Mu Recordings, Kuedo resurfaces on Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder imprint. Jamie Teasdale has had a clear and tangible impact on the sounds of UK bass, including previous work in the duo Vex'd. However, as his career has progressed it’s clear that Kuedo has his mind (and ears) set on other things. “I’m split between thinking about what makes spacey synth driven music production work, what makes rap and UK jungle work, and what makes pop and R&B work,” said Kuedo. One listen to Infinite Window, his latest LP for Brainfeeder, and it's clear that he’s found a balance between them.
From blindingly bright synth-pop to polyrhythmic drum breaks, Infinite Window (like so many other releases on the prolific Brainfeeder label) throws a lot of ideas out, but its twisted sense of logic reveals itself over time. Kuedo is clearly casting a large net out of love for all these kinds of music, sort of like a celebration of sound. Suffice to say, you'll hear very few records in 2022 that cite both Frank Ocean and Tangerine Dream as primary influences. Fewer still will sound this sharp.
The opening ‘Sliding Through Our Fingers’ recalls the kitchen-sink approach of early LuckyMe records, nodding to both shoe-gaze and hardcore rave with wispy trails of reverb clinging to the massive synth stabs. ‘Harlequin Hallway’ follows a similar suit by pairing a punchy trap kit to some moody and gothic keys and guitar distortion before a breakdown slide into tricky footwork during the song’s final third.
The rest of Infinite Window remains just as refreshing and explorative, too. From the nearly beatless ‘Aeolian Bodies’ that is far too restless to scan as purely ambient as it finds rhythms within its wildly percussive chord patterns, while the title track nods to warped prog with the arpeggiated widescreen lazers before swinging 808 claps throw the beat way off balance. The closing ‘Never - Para Sempre’ adds drama with its 80s indebted sound palette, a knowing nod to his influences and tidy ending to a record that thrillingly splits the difference between classic and contemporary electronic music.
