Odd Nosdam: Pretty Swell Explode

Label: Anticon

You can’t pin down Odd Nosdam. David Madson’s cut-and-paste experimental outfit likes to confound, whether he’s giving us the warm ambience of 2005’s brilliant Burner or last year’s dark and lovely Level Live Wires, about the only thing you can pretty much expect from Odd Nosdam is excellent music. Now Madson has given us a two-disc collection of unreleased tracks and remixes, a strange notion given that everything Odd Nosdam releases has an odds-and-ends quality to it, but I’m not complaining. The first disc has Nosdam’s typical array of found sounds and layers of synth and drone, but many of the tracks come with heavier beats that occasionally smack of hip-hop. You get a good sense of Nosdam’s skills as a remix artist, working with the likes of Black Moth Super Rainbow, Jessica Bailiff, Serena Maneesh and Boards of Canada. The second disc, an EP, features Nosdam’s ambient side, recalling the crackling analog warmth of Burner. Indeed, “My Prayer Rug” is a B-side from Burner, a slow builder that climaxes with “Dayvan Cowboy,” a stunning collaboration with Boards. Also featuring three videos, Pretty Swell Explode is everything we’ve come to expect from Odd Nosdam, a treasure of wonderful sounds that always surprises and delights. (James)