D'arcangelo Live

Also behind popular experimental techno group Monomorph (on the Disturbance label), Italian brothers Marco and Fabrizio D'Arcangelo record artful, melodic electro as D'Arcangelo. While the brothers' early discography is populated by nearly a dozen releases of acid and hard techno for such labels as ACV, Out of Orbit, Hot Trax, and Disko B, their more recent work has drawn inspiration from post-techno producers such as Aphex Twin and Autechre, combining intricate rhythmic programming with abstract textures and engaging melodies. The pair's debut EP release entirely in this vein appeared, appropriately enough, through U.K.-based Rephlex (Richard "Aphex Twin" James' label), and featured a balanced mixture of fast, abrasive rhythms and nostalgia-drenched electronics reminiscent of early Human League, Jean-Michel Jarre, and Depeche Mode. A subsequent release, Diagrams 10-14, through Italian electronica label Nature plunged deeper into electro-new wave fusion territory, with a couple tracks almost sounding like Yaz outtakes. Following a split 7-inch single with Canadian artist Solvent on the latter's Suction label, the brothers released their debut LP on Rephlex. Three years in the making, Shipwreck finally appeared in May 1999, and exhibited an evolutionary leap in both production quality and compositional acumen, wedding complex multipart melodies with constantly shifting beats and diverse structures.