Best of 2020
20th anniversary first-time vinyl pressing of Vladislav Delay's third record, originally released on the amazing Basic Channel sub label, Chain Reaction - what a back catalogue! The two records Sasu Ripatti released under the VD moniker either side of Multila came out via Milles Plateaux, the label inextricably connected with glitch, which gives you some indication to the overall direction VD has taken over its two-decade existence. All that early work is pioneering and compelling (and is certainly having another moment right now, as we've discussed on these very pages), though i think being on Chain Reaction moved Multila a little out of Ripatti's head and a little more towards the floor. There's a punchiness here less obvious on other works, while still retaining the granular level of detail he excels at. In a lot of ways, i think this record might be a bridge between the glitch orientated work and the more techno-led - and incredible - music he recorded under the Uusitalo name. That's to say, i don't find this introverted in the same way as, say, Oval, just possessed of the same free-ranging spirit. Texturally rich, highly detailed it may be, but Mutila doesn't forget the body, either. Smart, with feet and a heart.
