Michele Mercure

★★★ Beside Herself FREEDOM TO SPEND. CD/DL/LP/

Archival raid on minimalist synth pioneer’s ’80s cassette-only splurge. Michele Mercure explored synths, sequencing and sampling well under the radar. An electronic convert since she discovered kosmische legend Conrad Schnitzler in her teens, the Massachusetts native’s extremely lo-fi early experiments in home recording – crudely multitracked between two tape decks – progressed swiftly into experimental theatre, TV and film soundtracks. These 19 rapidly mutating cassette-only curios run the gamut from handplayed percussion, ghostly echoing bells (A Little Piece) and pattering synthetic rain fused with Mick Karn-ish fretless bass (Dreamplay 2) to an unhinged patchwork of screeching cars, breaking glass and distorted laughter (Beside Myself), choppy horror score heebie-jeebies (Night Music) and disquieting oscillations (Antigone). Mercure’s acute atmospherics are trumped by a facility for gripping melodies reminiscent of Sakamoto and Satie that surely make her one of minimal wave’s best kept secrets.