Analogue bubblebath suds and chimes from multi monikered electronic maestro Ed Ruscha
(Secret Circuit), wrangling his imaginary ensemble The Only Thingz for a full-length follow-up to
his sought-after 2018 tape for the label.
‘Ed Ruscha V & the Only Thingz’ is exemplary of the sanguine, etheric spirit and bucolic nature
that’s blessed all Eddie Ruscha’s body of work since the early ‘90s; from his earliest shoegaze work
with Medicine, thru his lolling disco tracks as Secret Circuit with Beats In Space, to electronic
pop with Scott Gilmore as Doctor Fluorescent. But it’s under his own name (which he shares with
his pop-art pioneer father) that Ed really comes into his own, sketching out scenes flush with
a colourful warmth and gentle headiness that effortlessly lends itself to Good Morning Tapes’
agenda.
Each of the eight pieces seamlessly caress stressed heads with a blend of electronic synthesis and
field recordings, veering from groggy pastoralism to swaying ambient house, luring listeners into
a sullied conception of ambient world building. The wilting chord petals of ‘Slumber Punk’ surely
recall the most blissed of AFX’s SAW works, and the lilting triplets of ‘Frog Man’ feels like we’re in
the Balearics, while ‘Tree Ring Circus’ and ‘Sight Gag Final’ offer a lush smush of raga-esque acid
dub, into the gorgeous new age intentions and effect of ‘Waves Over Stones’.
