"David Kristian is such a
professional; he’s probably on the Cooler’s VIP list. He’s probably even
got his own table and his Cosmopolitan is probably always served super
chilled…" "Kristian’s techno doesn’t rely on preset sounds and pilfered
rhythm patterns."
- Paul Cooper
(Pitchfork Media)
"Undoubtedly David Kristian deserves his spot among musical celebrities such as Aphex
Twin and Autechre. But for the time being his fame doesn't rise to comparable standards,
Musical merits and fame just aren't always directly proportional to one another. Just
recently he launched his compilation album
Beneath the Valley of Modulars
on Alien8, on which thirteen of his tracks once again proove his remarkable talent." (Gonzo
Circus)
"Beneath the Valley of the Modulars is yet another great David
Kristian recording with soundtrack undertones..." "Each percussive sound
is finely edited and polished to perfection, making it a real pleasure to hear. The
recording’s haunting and spacey
Dr. Who-inspired synthesizer
accompaniments are also finely tuned and orchestrated. Listening to the way that the two
aspects of Kristian’s music mix is proof of the amount of thought and effort he
exerted in designing this release. Stylistically,
Beneath the Valley
flows with a direction that might have been inspired by the motions found on
Autechre’s early efforts. It is likely that Kristian, electronic music’s most
underrated musician, will lead the genre into the 21st century."
- Jeremy Rotsztain
"The rhythms have a throbbing, energetic quality to them and although are partially
influenced by break-beat, the reliance on purely analog drum machines gives them a much
more unique sound."
- Jacek Furmankiewicz (Corridor Of Cells)
"When this record isn’t playful, decadent,
obnoxious and even obscene in its insistence on mind-blowing beat arrangements, it’s
as smart as a dart…"
- Ilana Kronick
(Hour)
" David Kristian prides himself on not using samples,
which makes him an anomaly in electronic music circles. Relying instead on his programming
wiles, Kristian creates bizarre soundworlds that compare favourably to Aphex Twin's work
on Selected Ambient Works Vol. II (praise doesn't come much higher than
that). Kristian floats eerie melodies over off-kilter, pulsating rhythms while swathing
the mid-range with a host of warped tones. Despite being recorded from 1994 to 1998,
Modulars
holds its own with the strongest electronic releases of 1999 and marks Kristian as an
exceptionally intelligent composer.
- Dave Segal
(Alternative Press)
"Basically, if you like the above mentioned artists
(Aphex Twin, Pole etc.) or simply want some electronic music that's a little more
challenging than your normal release, Kristian is someone to check out. Not only are the
sounds on the disc completely interesting and original, but the tracks are
solidly-constructed as well."
(AlmostCool.org)
