Wrong

A 18 track balearic / downtempo album (1h 19m 27s) — released November 19th 2001 on Touch

Wrong' features Holli Ashton on lead vocals, and various backing vocalists including Lisa Millet, Tara Patterson (Autocreation), Sarah Peacock (Scala, Seefeel, January) and 4AD artist Vinny Miller. Mark Van Hoen wanted to invoke some of the spirit of late 70's British electronic music, combining that sound with his now familiar brand of electronics. The fragility of vocalist Holli Ashton's, combined with the decayed and warped quality of the sound offer a warmth rarely found in such pure electronic music. Sometimes things just don't work out right... In the Spring of 1998 Mark Van Hoen AKA Locust had just finished exhaustively promoting the critically acclaimed 'Morning Light' album. This hitherto much lauded, yet underground electronica artist was about to break into the mainstream. But then things went wrong. The usual story of falling out with a small independent label which was eventually resolved with Mark's liberation. During this difficult time Mark recorded 'Wrong' - an album of songs with Holli Ashton. 'Whether helping to mastermind the sensual interweaving of guitar and sampler with Seefeel or scraping together the eclectic mix of desolate soundscapes and overpowering distortion of Locust, Mark Van Hoen is a stylistic chameleon leaving an indelible mark on the face of electronics.'

Intriguing new release from Mark Van Hoen's Locust, Wrong is not, as the notes on the sleeve warn, a double album, but a twin CD format. Both CDs are designed to be played simultaneously, preferably in different rooms. CD1, or shall we, for our purpose, call it the main CD, contains nine delicately craftedsongs, while the second presents a series of isolationist textural drones which, when listened to on their own, reveals nothing of the intrinsic beauty of Van Hoen's music. Entirely conceived around guitar samples and electronic structures, supporting the voice of Holly Ashton (main vocals) and Lisa Millet, the songs forming the backbone of this record are made of complex layers of sounds and vocals intricately woven together to the point where they sometimes form a single element. MissAshton's presence is essential to the general atmosphere of this album, pouring hot and cold on Van Hoen's warped constructions, alternating between neurasthenic little girl and divine goddess, and constantly bringing a strange sexual underlying to the compositions. The appearance of Van Hoen himself on vocalduties on the beautiful Impossible Adventure, probably the most accessible song of the album, gives Ashton yet another chance to challenge him, this time on her territory. The sound constructions featured on the additional CD also give a rather interesting third dimension to the tracks. Whether played in perfect synchronicity or with a slight delay, this second part ensures a continuously renewed listening experience.Despite a handful of strong-minded moments, (Make A Difference, Believe In The One), Wrong is overall delicate, fascinating, and typical of previous Locust releases. Van Hoen develops further his particular blend of polymorph electronic structures that now can be traced in the work of bands such as Hooverphonic or even Goldfrapp. But the Locust mood is unique, and, with beautiful melodies, fine vocals and clever arrangements, Van Hoen's work is set to remain out of the ordinary. Wrong does not depart greatly from its predecessors. It howevershows Van Hoen at his finest, most at ease with his increasingly mechanical sonic universe, which he counterbalances by allowing Holly Ashton a place of choice here. This is future pop! - themilkfactory.co.uk

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