(IDM / Glitch / Experimental) AGF - Words Are Missing - 2008, MP3 (tracks), VBR 128-192 kbps

Words Are Missing is the fourth album for AGF (Antye Greie-Fuchs to her friends) since 2002, which is actually a somewhat remarkable feat of consistency given the attention to detail and thematic consistency she affords to each of those works. This time around, it seems that AGF’s subject is the voice, as she goes ahead and puts various voices (how many of the voices belong to her is unclear, though it could be nearly all of them) through various processors and comes up with something that veers between danceable and horrific. On the former side of the spectrum are tracks like “Letters Make No Meaning (Weapons No War Germs No Disease) I” and “Where the White Animals Meet”, both of them glitchy soundfests that actually manage to establish beats and melodies for extended periods. “Presswehen” would be the shining example of the latter, then, opening with some heavy breathing and moaning that eventually evolves into a scream, and then forcing you to listen to it a second time… whether it’s worse knowing what’s coming is certainly part of the experiment. Couple the fascinating and daring aural experimentation with a booklet full of fascinating artwork and photography (complete with links to more artwork, either inspiration or augmentation), and you get a fascinating little package. If you’re looking for an experienced, fascinating source of electronic experimentation beyond the genre’s hugest names, AGF and her Words are Missing may well be a wonderful place to start.