Papercuts (France), February 2009
"Si la bande originale de votre vie à l’approche de l’hiver n’avait pas encore été dénichée, il n’en sera plus ainsi après l’écoute de ce nouvel album de Near The Parenthesis. Le moelleux de la texture électronique, sa lenteur, sa douceur, son détachement, sa fragilité, sa délicatesse, sa sérénité vous chaperonneront pour affronter les frimas à venir. Dans votre état lascivement cotonneux, ‘L’Eixample’ vous éclairera de ses scintillements épars. La contemplation du vide s’illuminera grâce à la réverbération de la lumière sur le givre.
L’electronica vaporeuse de Near The Parenthesis a ce pouvoir calmant et apaisant. Cependant, elle possède autant de détails qu’un paysage hivernal… tout est blanc, pur, homogène, sans véritable aspérité et s'il peut susciter l'émerveillement éphémère, il en devient finalement un peu lassant. Cet album durera le temps d’une saison puis sera rangé durant les trois suivantes. Mais aucun doute qu’on le dépoussiérera l’année prochaine. La métamorphose ne s’opère qu’avec une écoute parcimonieuse. "
Ear Influxion, October 2008
"Many of the nine tracks found on L'Eixample ebb and flow with a ponderous grace, with an emphasis on an understated melancholy and lushness that complement its textures, arrangements and melodic sensibility. It is in this shimmering warmth that L'Eixample shakes away many of the immediate comparisons to artists like Arovane or Autechre; many of the more angular or mechanical sounds to be found in those artists' work are completely absent here, or at least dialed down considerably. There is more in common with Cliff Martinez's Solaris score than anything on City Centre Offices; Arndt flaunts a similar knack for repetition and cyclical patterns that are at alternate times hypnotic, moving or insistent. Because of this, the tracks heard on L'Eixample don't feel overly distinct to me but parts of a whole, and this is why it succeeds as an album. While sometimes that homogenous quality can undermine an album, here it strengthens it. There are still some truly gorgeous specific moments on here: the opening melodic phrases of "Guell" are equally gloomy and lovely, while the closing sequence of "A Brief Walk In The Sea" is triumphant in its elegance. The disembodied voices underneath "Empty Square" and "Departing Gate" might make you turn your head a bit just to make sure it's on the album and not somewhere else in the distance; the latter also is built around a nice piano arrangement that builds over its five minutes into a layered beauty.
L'Eixample is a really nice piece of work that comes highly recommended for any fan of emotive, instrumental electronic music. For this listener, it's helped revive an interest in IDM and electronic listening music, proving that you don't need to reinvent the wheel to create something inspiring and moving."
The Milk Factory, October 2008
"With L’Eixample, Amdt returns to the gentle atmospheric postcards that defined his previous outputs and expands on the already rich soundscapes and textures that served them. The nine tracks collected here seamlessly morph into one another and melodies effortlessly float above the minute formations that act as main backbone for each individual piece. Sounding like representations of crisp, cold and foggy winter mornings, where familiar settings are swallowed in a dense veil and become haunting shapes, Amdt’s compositions move slowly, revealing various facets of their individual scope with each new exposure. But, behind the dense textural curtain which covers the whole album, lush instrumentations and sequences can be heard. Distant voices, softened pianos or rounded electric guitars create unique spaces within the music and, while contributing greatly to the overall mood, also manage to radiate altogether much more vivid tones. On Cedra’s Plan for instance, the main piano melody which emerges from the shifting waters of the first half of the piece gives a much earthier feel to the latter part. SMDM is instantly more clearly defined, but yet again, it is the piano that contrasts with its resolutely vaporous backdrop. On Empty Square, piano and processed guitars create a mood reminiscent of the collaboration between former Cocteau Twins guitarist Robin Guthrie and ambient composer Harold Budd, but then the track takes a turn for the barer and more desolate until just a distant voice remains, and on opening piece Modernisme, ethereal voices contribute to the overall haunting feel of the composition. Tim Amdt has created with his third album an exquisite atmospheric soundtrack. The refined soundscapes and moods serve his melodies beautifully, and contribute to create an extremely consistent and cinematic collection."
Textura, October 2008
"No, L'Eixample isn't a misspelling of the French “l'example”; the album title refers to the modernist architecture Tim Arndt (aka Near The Parenthesis) encountered in the L'Eixample district during the Barcelona , Spain travels that inspired his follow-up to 2007's Of Soft Construction. Apparently, “L'Eixample” also means “extension” in Catalunyan, a meaning that's naturally applicable to the further refinement and development one hears in Arndt's Near The Parenthesis style. The San Francisco-based producer's music is a galaxy removed from abrasive, noise-based variants of the form, and the new album at times feels like a master class in “warm” electronica, with the opener “Modernisme” no finer example of just how alluring the genre can be when the right producer's involved. On subtly rapturous settings like “Cerda's Plan” and “A Brief Walk In The Sea,” piano, Rhodes , buried voices, and streaming guitars merge indissolubly with electronics to form multi-layered masses whose ebb and flow seductively draws the listener into a beatific sonic realm. Just because Arndt favours the genre's gentler side doesn't mean the music's mental pabulum either. Yes, it's pretty but it also exemplifies a sophistication in construction and design that rewards close listening. Though the gossamer web he spins in “Paral.lel” impresses as particularly lovely, throughout the album Arndt weaves together a remarkable sum-total of sounds—consider the densely arranged “Guell” and “Smdm” as prime examples—without ever lapsing into excess. The fifty-three-minute collection is about as lovely as “emotive electronica” gets."
Sonic Immersion, September 2008
"Near the Parenthesis is the musical (dis)guise of San Francisco-based musician Tim Arndt, of which "L’Eixample" is his third full length release. Arndt himself describes his compositional style as "melancholic aesthetic". The album, which was inspired by the overall impact and environment of the city of Barcelona, contains nine ambient tracks featuring textural, atmospheric music, which all reflect a melancholic, overall calming, subdued state. Gentle beats, bits of glitch, and rhythmic components accompany distorted guitar sounds, intimate, mellow synth and vocal pads with sparse melodic lines, while varied field recordings (made during Arndt's travels) lend its own distinct pastel colours. Occasionally vaporizing an undeniable sense of religious meaning (e.g. "Smdm"), these well executed and produced ambient electronics with reflective undercurrents radiates a peculiar sense of magic and longing for not often found. Think of the feel the music Ulrich Schnauss provokes with a twist."
EtherREAL (France), September 2008
Neuf mois après le très bon Of Soft Construction, Near the Parenthesis est déjà de retour, toujours sur n5MD, avec L’Eixample, album inspiré par de fréquents voyages du Californien à Barcelone (d’où son titre, clin d’œil à l’un des quartiers de la capitale catalane).
Alors qu’on fait parfois ici-même le reproche au label d’Oakland de démesurément privilégier les disques proposant un post-rock électronisé mêlant lignes entraînantes de guitare et composantes synthétiques, on sera gré à Tim Arndt d’opter, sur son troisième long-format, pour une musique quasi-exclusivement électronique. En effet, les parties mélodiques entraînantes ou les batteries programmées ne sont presque pas de mise (citons juste Cerda’s Plan et SMDM) sur un album qui favorise plutôt le développement d’une electronica calme et sereine, faite de textures jamais agressives. Au contraire, les rythmiques se font gracieuses (A Brief Walk in the Sea), les mélodies joliment dessinées (The Second Nave, Paral.lel, Departing Gaze) et les notes de clavier mélancoliquement détachées (Empty Square). Savamment intégrées, quelques bribes de discours, émissions radio ou vieux films parcourent également avec réussite certains titres de Near the Parenthesis."
Now Like Photographs, September 2008
"Tim Arndt's smooth and luscious bedroom electronica has such a lived in sound that it gives the music a profound sense of place. Fittingly, the San Franciscan crafted these tunes in response to his recent travels through the majestic and romantic city of Barcelona. Even the glitches of static and cloudy globules of piled high keyboards sound like the city: a glorious blend of rested and passionate. Whether the songs lean toward spacey with effects or barebones with just a piano and field recordings, NTP is certainly welcome on nowlikephotographs."
Geiger (Denmark), September 2008
"En anden musikalsk alvorsmand er Tim Arndt, der bruger kunstnernavnet Near The Parenthesis. Jeg har tidligere været begejstret for albummet Of Soft Construction, der i sit tonesprog ramte en efterårsagtig melankoli. L'Eixample tager sit navn efter et distrikt i Barcelona, hvor den modernistiske arkitektur er særligt fremherskende. Første nummer på pladen hedder da også ganske passende "Modernisme". Man behøver dog ikke at frygte, at Arndt er blevet et følelseskoldt tankemenneske, der hellere vil lave abstrakte bygninger af lyd end appellere til de menneskelige følelser. Faktisk viser albummet, at man godt kan kombinere en streng, musikarkitektonisk formsans med en rig emotionalitet."
Resident Advisor, August 2008
"Near the Parenthesis' third full-length has dragged me deep into the conundrum of interpretation. You see, much of this review is unavoidably influenced by title conditioning—the infiltration of the subconscious by the record's track names. Prior knowledge of "A Brief Walk in the Sea," for example, gestured towards a rather literal interpretation. Subsequently, the softly repeating chimes which initially drew the ear were like smears of refracted light, highlighting the surface of the waves. As the understated beats emerged from the mix, it felt as though they represented a swell of current, pulling the observer's gaze below the surface; down to a swirling, cycling mass of looping glitches and clicks manifesting as the surrounding water. As with Mountains or Epic45, whose minimalist-shoegaze approach to ambient electronica shares much in common with Near the Parenthesis, there's refreshingly little to latch on to besides the music itself. No ostentatious frontman, no lyrics, no narrative other than the self-imposed and few other factors to colour the process besides artwork and a tracklist. These, though, are enough to have an influence. And it led me to wonder, rather obsessively as it turns out, what effect a totally "clean" listen would have on an individual.
When hearing the fluctuating, low-pitched tones that open "Cerda's Plan," would they too see an elongating corridor; a nervous, seated man lightly drumming his fingers as the same tones shorten and diverge into insistent patterns; muffled voices from behind a nearby door, crackling and surging into washes of distortion as their discussions reach a volatile stage? As L'Eixample is partially driven and inspired by the architectural history of Barcelona, it should be no surprise that constructed spaces arise in the imagination. But such information also has an effect. It may be Tim Arndt's intention to use "Guell" as an expression of the remarkable hues, textures and curves of Gaudi's famous park through shimmering mosaics of mechanical trills and ever-prominent piano melody. Yet would this connection have been made without guidance? To what extent does it even matter? Background detail and textual signifiers can bring a deeper, satisfying understanding of creative intent, but at the same time they risk denying the listener the unique, potentially richer, experience of a stimulus-free hearing. To that end, this review itself is a problem. Sorry about that. My suggestion is this: acquire the album, remove it from all the packaging and set it aside. Forget everything you just read. Then listen afresh to an ambient triumph."
de-bug (Germany), August 2008
"Das nenne ich ein perfektes Album. Tim Arndt aus San Francisco ist so verliebt in den großen Pop zwischen den kleinen Tönen, dass man wie gebannt zuhört. Mit verbundenen Augen rückwärts watet er durch oldschoolige Elektronika-Anleihen, geflüsterte Versprechungen und angedeutete Weite, in der gleich ein ganzes Dutzend Sonnen auf- und untergehen. Mit glockiger Euphorie und zirpenden Explosionen warmer Mikrowellen-Strahlen baut er auf seiner neuen Platte ein Haus, in dem nur Gutes geschieht. Kaum in Worte zu fassen und unsere verqueren Gedanken schamlos entblößend. Wie gesagt: Das nenne ich ein perfektes Album."
Cyclic Defrost, August 2008
"Unlike several electronic artists who happen to be blessed with prolificacy, Tim Arndt continually delivers incredibly polished and lush material on his instrumental releases as Near The Parenthesis. The majority of his previous work has been met with extensive critical acclaim and for good reason – it’s delicate, instrumental electronica interspersed with an incisive and thought-provoking approach that is as easy to listen to in the background as in the foreground. L’Eixample is no different to his previous work in this respect. It’s self-assured and confident, without being brash. Taking inspiration from his travels through Barcelona and the modernist architecture around the L’Eixample district, the album is distinctly grounded by these experiences but never restrained by them.
Echoes of Seekae are littered throughout, and Ulrich Schnauss also gets a look in with the dreamy atmospherics and shoegaze remnants that make up a fair amount of the album. However, Arndt has a voice all his own as he marries synthetic elements with acoustic instrumentation. He has such a way with melody that the two are never really distinguished as separate entities, which is a stunning achievement. The emotional connection to the music is undeniable, particularly on tracks such as ‘A Brief Walk In The Sea’ which relies on a tacit collection of scratchings, squeaks and synths to conjure up the images that the title suggests. The intermittent scuttle of ‘Modernisme’ lapses into an effortless, languid melody while the divine moments on ‘Cerda’s Plan’ with piano and drum machine matched beat for beat provide lovely jump-out moments that Arndt may explore on future releases. L’Eixample is a release that will slip under the radar for many, but for those in the know it will sure to be one of the highlights of Arndt’s back catalogue, and a strong contender for one of the loveliest releases of 2008."
Papercuts (France), July 2008
"Tim Arndt avait fait une entrée remarquée sur la scène electronica lors de la sortie de Go Out and See sur le label canadien The Noise Made by People en 2006. L'aventure continue à présent aux côtés de n5MD, producteur particulièrement friand de délicatesses synthétiques tissées avec émotion. IDM tendant vers le shoegaze, flirtant avec le post-rock le plus minimaliste, la musique de Near The Parenthesis serait voisine d'un Helios ou autre Deaf Center tout en ayant sa propre empreinte, sa propre vision de ce qu'un soleil polaire pourrait évoquer. Cette magie que de poser un casque sur ses oreilles et de contempler la ville autrement, le calme s'installe, un ralenti bienveillant hante le vertigineux tourbillon de mouvements. Oui, il s'agit d'une bande son idéale pour déambulations. Pourquoi?
La production souligne avec délicatesse une profusion de petits détails, froissements métalliques, grésil picotant le visage. De ces touches de froid baigné de lumière, sorte de scintillement solaire sur une mer gelée. Une écoute attentive permet de relever toutes ces subtilités et de les apprécier tout en se laissant porter. On pense à une paisible succession de vagues, on s'enveloppe de la chaleur des plages denses et vaporeuses qui apportent tant de douceur à l'ensemble. Il n'est que la métaphore pour parvenir à définir ces sonorités. Near The Parenthesis constitue un petit univers brillant et réconfortant qui mérite grandement d'être découvert."
Evil Sponge, July 2008
"I was fortunate in discovering his album Go Out And See (released 2006 on the MMBP label), a record of luxuriant bass and sophisticated beats. For his follow-up, Arndt has switched to the n5MD label and this is a logical move for the San Francisco-based musician. The music of Near the Parenthesis is too reflective, too cerebral to be confined to the rank and file of downtempo. Of Soft Construction is relaxed and chilled, certainly, but it has facets that reach out beyond ambience. Though outwardly tranquil, these compositions can be contrary and deceptive. Built upon cycles of repetition and gently, evolving layers, Of Soft Construction generates the sort of "calm" that actually suggests strength. The effect is like time-lapse photography for the ears.
My favourite piece has to be the sensational Trailing. By sensational I mean quite literally evoking sensations and feelings. This track twinkles like a night drive in a foreign city. Conjure Michael Mann's Miami or Sofia Coppola's Tokyo - wherever. It doesn't matter. In this context, the city is merely a reflection of the self. Our foreign city therefore represents the unexplored side of one's own persona. Lights and colours flash by. Our minds are intoxicated with possibilities and discoveries. All these new experiences serve to make sense of our own lives and purposes. If only my own were as elegant and beautiful as Of Soft Construction."
The Skinny, May 2008
"Shoegazer electronica can be hard to grab a handle on – it’s soothing, thought provoking, sometimes exciting, often beautiful – but it also has a very strong tendency towards inoffensive mildness, and Near The Parenthesis is no exception. Of Soft Construction exhibits all of the above qualities by the bucketload. The melodies are gorgeous when they drift in and out, the drum programming is superb - albeit buried deep in the mix - and the instrumentation is stirring."
Cyclic Defrost, March 2008
"Near the Parenthesis attracted considerable critical acclaim for the 2006 debut album 'Go Out And See' on Canadian imprint Music Made By People, which focused on purely instrumental compositions equally evocative of both downbeat IDM and shoegazer slow-core rock. Given the delicate and deeply emotional nature of Arndt’s music as Near The Parenthesis, it’s certainly no surprise to see him smoothly slotting in amongst the n5MD label’s established gentle aesthetic for this second album, Of Soft Construction. Opening track ‘It’s Not Even Midnight’ provides a good taste of the sorts of delicate and melancholic moods that predominate throughout the eleven tracks collected here, with its glacially wistful opening synth pads giving way to a slow, blurred-out wash of programmed drums and subtly-placed, ebbing guitar elements; indeed, so smooth is the fusion of instrumental and synthetic elements that it calls to mind the post-rock sphere as equally as anything tagged ‘IDM.’ ‘Mare Nostrum’ meanwhile sees elegantly stark piano notes take centre stage as flickering programmed rhythms trace a path over the reverb-drenched harmonics, with the addition of feathery guitar textures and reversed / looped samples contributing a vaguely psychedelic vibe that’s nicely capped off by the sampled background chatter that flits through the mix.
‘The Language Explosion’ sees the highly-detailed synthetic elements moving closer to the forefront as crackling textures and shimmering piano tones take proceedings out into one of this album’s more decidedly IDM-centred inclusions, in an offering that calls to mind Boards Of Canada and Bola’s crystalline melancholia, before ‘Open Sources’ gets deeper and darker, placing brooding bass pads beneath its ticking clockwork rhythms and feathery, harp-like treated guitars. Depending on your own personal leanings, the fact that Arndt pretty much restricts himself to the same sorts of melancholic themes throughout Of Soft Construction’s 56 minutes can be alternately viewed as thematic cohesion or lack of variation; either way, fans of his preceding Go Out And See album should be delighted with this follow-up."
Side-Line, January 2008
"Following 2006’s Go Out and See on Music Made by People, Of Soft Construction sees Near the Parenthesis' cascading melodies, flowing synth waves and intricate beat programming interweave and mix to form gentle swathes of sound with just a touch of fuzzy distortion. In some ways, “Of Soft Construction” could be a glimpse into the intimate world of the musician at work; almost as though observing a synth being played in a quiet studio while an electronic music soundtrack plays in the background. The tracks focus largely on the warm stream of ambience, delicate sparkling sounds, obscured snippets of conversation, gentle unobtrusive rhythms and emotive keys. The other aspect of these tracks arises from the experimental electronics that discretely accompany the mellower aspects; this side of NTP's music is crisp, precise and slightly metallic. Tracks such as “Mare Nostrum” and “Open Sources” are almost an insight into NTP's mindset as he plays the notes, perhaps reflecting on what was or could have been."
Goon (Germany), January 2008
"Near The Parenthesis kann – denn Electronica ist nicht selten eine Musik der Abschweifungen im geradlinigen Ablauf des Tages; mit all seiner Synthesizer-Epik, den in Spiralen verlängerten Gitarrenanklängen und sanften Beatameisen macht sie, insbesondere in der Nähe zum IDM, oftmals den Eindruck, nicht so recht zu wissen, wo sie hin will; scheint eingeschoben und in der Luft zu baumeln; wie ein Tagträumen, eine Parenthese innerhalb des Wachzustands; in gewisser Weise ist es autonome Musik, die allein sich selbst genügt und doch zugleich durch einen Fuß im Kitsch selbst eine Funktion besitzt, die direkt auf den Menschen wirkt und ihn umgarnt; das kann regelmäßig etwas bieder und einfältig klingen, kann damit aber auch eine schlichte Lieblichkeit besitzen, die einen in den Arm nimmt und nicht nur Wärme verspricht, sondern spendet – als eine von Sonnenstrahlen durchtränkte Pause im Frühlingssturm betrachtet werden."
EtherREAL (France), January 2008
"Après un premier album sur Music Made By People, Near the Parenthesis se trouve signé par n5MD, maison plus ou moins spécialisée dans ce «post-rock électronisé» qu’affectionne le musicien de San Fransisco. De fait, dès les deux morceaux d’ouverture (It’s not even midnight et Mare Nostrum), on retrouve une batterie électronique, de lumineuses lignes de guitare, des composants synthétiques scintillants et quelques bribes de samples vocaux. Pour autant, Tim Arndt ne se cantonne pas à ce genre, certes brillant, mais un rien facile par moments ; en effet, l’États-unien peut aussi s’aventurer vers des terrains dépourvus de ces parties mélodiques entraînantes de guitare et plus orientés vers une ambient cajoleuse (The Language Explosion). Passant d’un registre à l’autre, mais aussi capable d’aller vers une electronica plus traditionnelle (Open Sources), Near the Parenthesis nous livre alors un album très agréable."
Textura, December 2007
"Near the Parenthesis' made a strong impression with the mid-2006 debut Go Out and See (Music Made By People) and now extends the album's luminescent character to the equally solid Of Soft Construction. The collection's ‘emotional electronic' style is quintessential n5MD: deeply-layered material teeming with delicate piano melodies, glistening electronic atmospheres, quietly propellant beats, and occasional voice and radio station samples. Eleven finely-wrought and lustrous transporting lullabies are the result, with nine in the five-minute range and a couple of lovely placid interludes breaking the flow. A veritable wonderland of clicking beats and warm tones resounds amidst ripples of electronic gleam in “Trailing” while “Sitting in a Room” rather anomalously adds bass-heavy funkiness to the sparkling flow. Throughout this sophomore Near The Parenthesis effort, Arndt assembles mobile masses that, interestingly, are simultaneously heavy, in their density, and airy, in their brightness. "
Geiger (Denmark), January 2008
"Det amerikanske electronica-pladeselskab, n5MD, fortsætter deres stime af perfekt konstruerede albums, der appellerer til den kræsne, romantiske æstetiker. Seneste skud på stammen er Near The Parenthesis og Hologram. Begge bands passer optimalt til sloganet: "emotional experiments in music", der er blevet n5MDs varemærke. Bag navnet Near The Parenthesis gemmer sig Timothy Arndt. Som de fleste kunstnere, der er signet til n5MD, så foretrækker Arndt at "male" på et bredt kanvas. Albummets titel: Of Soft Construction er en fin indikator for æstetikken: Der er tale om silkebløde, lydlige konstruktioner, der smyger sig varmt om lytteren. n5MDs specialitet er at forene det organiske med det elektroniske. Der er ikke tale om nedbarberet click 'n' cut, men derimod om langsomt udfoldede musikalske strukturer, der indarbejder såvel lyde af traditionelle "rockinstrumenter" som guitar, keyboards, bas og trommer og sindrigt konstruerede beats. Of Soft Construction består af elleve numre, der alle rammer en blå stemning. På coverets inderside kan man læse en lille sentens, der fanger stemningen meget godt: "you're optimistic, where does that leave me?""
The Music Lobby, December 2007
"I'll admit that I first discovered this artist on the n5MD's One Five Zero compilation. Getting the entire album was a smart move! This carefully produced instrumental electronic album, accompanied by detailed beats and perfectly measured bass, with sweeps of transforming pads, cycling dynamics of piano, and occasional field recordings of distant voices, deliver all jonesing aspects of Electronica (is that still a genre?), placing [Near the Parenthesis], along the likes of Gridlock, Helios, Yasume, and Seven Ark. This San Francisco artist skillfully applies the formula that can never get too old for me. Just when I thought the world was drifting away from the overused elements, an album like this falls in my lap and stirs up all the good memories. For a free ride, check out NTP's contribution towards Sutemos on Intelligent Toys Vol 4. "
Boomkat, December 2007
"The Near The Parenthesis project is now on its second full-length album, and it's another permutation of n5MD's very modern take on instrumental electronica. There are certain signposts on the record that point towards a creative kinship with artists like Ulrich Schnauss or Manual - there's certainly a similar preoccupation with expansive melodic melodrama and finely crafted electronic beat-making. The glistening electronic chimes of 'It's Not Even Midnight' combine with lost voices in a crowd and underplayed, naturalistic drum programming to make for a compelling opener. Next comes 'Mare Nostrum', featuring Deaf Center-like cinematics and glitchy micro-beats, another prevalent sonic formula on the album, but for the sake of texture there are plenty of rhythm-breaking pieces that venture into slightly more awkward, ambient terrain. The deep digital gloss of 'Litnum' and For, From' makes for material that has more in common with 12k than IDM, resulting in some interesting, if not entirely original soundscaping. Once again, n5MD are doing a great job of keeping the electronica dream alive, and Near The Parenthesis offers another worthwhile, contemporary take on the genre."
AngryApe, November 2007
"San Francisco's Near The Parenthesis offers up a real lesson in restraint on his sophomore release Of Soft Construction, blending a sound that floats gently somewhere between Boards of Canada's nostalgic textures and Bola's euphoric, melodic style. His gentle, undulating brand of electronica is laden with over-lapping, celestial melodies that ebbs with discreet samples of radio station crackles, chilled chatter and distant playground sounds. With crisp production, complimented by cushioned synth pads and lightly distorted samples, Of Soft Construction runs like a tranquil soundtrack for those who prefer to sidestep the hustle and bustle of everyday life."
Cyclic Defrost, September 2006
"In much the same way as Akira Inagawas 2005 Lambent project These Days, the debut solo endeavour of Near the Parenthesis, Go Out and See, is one of those records that just work. Indeed, Go Out and See?s strength lays not just in its sonic and textural qualities, but in its arrangements and song structures. These are works that prove equally warm and glacial, immediate and distant, minimalist in terms of sonic motif, yet full and expansive in terms of compositional forethought and design. Near the Parenthesis manages to balance field recordings of city streets and throngs of passing conversation with gentle, eloquent electronic phrasing and fleeting instances of organic instrumentation. Moments of deft, heart-breaking melodic clarity appear as if from behind a cloud, before their gradual, ambient dissolution. The effect is remarkable, unguardedly emotive, engaging, affecting track after track of beauteous sonic cohesion. March>September proves a tear-jerker, while Anon Distant and I Remember it Differently see high-end organic and electronic embellishments dance atop dense synth melodics and restrained beats. Fraun and Must Every Path Cross also prove lovely moments, while Under Lights concludes the record in the strongest possible terms. Go Out and See may not blow your mind, but that's not its objective. This is the stuff of loneliness and loss and the hope of new realities, it is the stuff of one of this year's prettiest and most evocative electronic records."
XLR8R, July 2006
"Near the Parenthesis' taste for deep, layered musical compositions combined with his musical background make for soundscapes that drift between ethereal and melancholy so skillfully it's impossible to track how this artist moves from one musical point to the next, and such subtlety is likely to make him go far as a producer."
Textura, July 2006
"Go Out and See works a deeply emotive dimension into its melodic material that elevates it far above the merely pretty. Near the Parenthesis assembles its material from by-now familiar elements—field elements of voices and environmental noise, gently chattering beats, billowing electronics, glistening organ tones, subtle layers of glitch—but weaves them into affecting, often tender quasi-ambient compositions drenched with feeling. Cases in point, quietly euphoric pieces like “The Evasion of Like” and “I Remember It Differently” unfurl with a lush effervescence and melancholic wistfulness that's truly lovely. Only the fourth release issued on the Toronto-based MMBP (Music Made By People) label, Go Out and See impresses as a remarkably accomplished and fully-realized work."
The Wire, July 2006
"One day soon it may be necessary to carry out a study into why so many producers hide themselves away behind some impassive, self-effacing tag. One brief glance at the sleeve is enough to reveal that the glorious colours and broad vistas on Go Out And See are the work of Near the Parenthesis, while a minute or two online will inform you that he lives in San Francisco. Maybe neither revelation gets us closer to understanding why this particular individual has such a flair for mixing field recordings of people's apparently random chatter into his subdued and dreamy compositions. But what the hey...it's a start."
