Huerco S. – Plonk

Label: Incienso – INC-015
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: Mar 14, 2022
Genre: Electronic
Style: Experimental, Ambient, Abstract, IDM

On ‘Plonk‘, Huerco S achieves many things — a return to crystal clear form, a new path forged, and a new spell cast, all while staging itself as an affront to the contemporary ‘muzak’ being disseminated under the ambient title. The often contradictory nature of these merits (including the sometimes tangible struggle in the juggling of the older and the new) might see division amongst his fanbase, but in chief Huerco’s victories outweigh the faults.

Of all the achievements the one which stands up the most is his challenge to the listenership of ‘ambient’ music, and also the very definition of the term. For years West Mineral has been mining this particular vein, and now Huerco S adds his own chapter to a book that sees a genre develop from “ignorable” music to something far more culturally significant, a genre of music that sees itself traced by every other with increasing rapidity.

‘Plonk‘ perhaps doesn’t push at this boundary as much as it could, or as much as Leeds’ contemporaries do, and that’s also fine. You don’t have to do much reading of interviews with Huerco S to realise that he doesn’t give much of a fuck about the commercial success of this album, or about how listenable it is deemed by press or fans alike. ‘Plonk‘ is as much a therapy record to its maker as it is for the open-minded. Just remember this: that therapy is rarely an entirely peaceful process.

1. Plonk I
2. Plonk II
3. Plonk III
4. Plonk IV
5. Plonk V
6. Plonk VI
7. Plonk VII
8. Plonk VIII
9. Plonk IX
10. Plonk X