Think of these as demos, as skeletal ideas for songs. I hesitate to say “minimalist” because with good minimalism, even with the spartan sound, there is a sense of completion, of perfection in the piece as it is, like a well-made piece of nigiri or a good haiku. Listening to this album, you can’t help but get the feeling that these tunes are sorely lacking – lacking proper arrangements, lacking a sense that the composers knew where the songs should go, lacking a sort of vital energy to finish the songs. To extend the food analogy, it’s as if they left out a key ingredient, perhaps the seasoning. The melodies are simplistic and the instrumentation consists of unadorned piano or keyboard accompaniment, some beatbox, and deadpan vocals.

1. Crunchy beats, trip-hop feel minus the deep groove
2. Distant echoey faux-tuba punctuates weak beats
3. They found the mojo here with just-barely enhanced vocals and a somber synth harmony over a subdued beat; only ding – the nasal male vocals
4. Prime example – what’s here, a bouncy beat and an attractively moody synth melody – is pretty nice but the tune just sort of ambles, with no evident point, until it just peters out from lack of ambition
5. Here, the vocals are processed to sound sexily silky but the rudimentary piano and beats ruin the effect
6. Clicky beats and bits of voices, bassline, etc.
7. Beats, ominous chords, warbly acoustic guitar picking, annoying vocals … blech
8. Bonus track on which Tarsier recites in Portuguese over a twinkly bell backing, finally a proper piece of minimalism