Thom Yorke/Modeselektor – ‘Shipwreck’

Slowly creeping to life in a tide of scattered and subdued breakbeats, ‘Shipwreck,’ a collaboration between Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke and glitch/IDM mainstays Modeselektor, is a classic exercise in tension and release.

This isn’t the first time the Berlin-based electro pioneers have worked with Yorke, they previously collaborated on ‘The White Flash,’ a track on the band’s sophomore album Happy Birthday! This time round however, things are a lot darker.

As the lurking, linear synth melodies slowly come to fruition, Yorke’s delicate vocals lie just beneath the surface. It’s certainly an effective juxtaposition placing his innocent, almost childlike whimpers against such undisputedly eerie music; it adds a sense of gravitas and uneasiness that is not easily forgotten.

A strange thing happens as the track begins to hone in on its closing moments though. The jittery agitation that has been bubbling and building on the periphery of the track’s sonic space slowly comes to the forefront, as the synth lines gradually coalesce, and fall in sync with, the underlying breakbeats, it all comes to a sudden halt.

All this tension that had been carefully cultivated over the prior four minutes, abruptly vanishes into the ether, leaving the listener a little confused, but craving more. A dark, yet fascinating, delight.

By Alex Cull