by John Bush
With The Amateur View, To Rococo Rot leaves behind their many fumbling colleagues in the field of post-rock/post-techno to set upon a course of their own, a lush vision of listener electronica. Though the occasional angular guitar repetition is a clear nod to the influence of Tortoise, the trio construct tracks with reams of vintage electronics and a few acoustic instruments, assembling complex songs on a production line of sorts with a variety of simplistic parts. Highlights &Telema& (the single) and &A Little Asphalt Here and There& are bursting tone-capsules of warm laidback electro-funk, far less focused on the angular abstractions of previous TRR material. Although it's still leagues away from the electronic dance mainstream (or even the electronic listening mainstream), The Amateur View offers an intriguing glimpse at the future of home techno.