Another labour of love from Vrystaete with this first time vinyl compilation of Girotuna, an uber-obscure turn-of-the-century 'DIY electronics' outfit from The Netherlands who I imagine will have escaped the attentions of even the most dedicated Internetseekers. Still, if you've not heard the name before, then you will likely understand the context in which they existed. Because it's Vrystaete and because of the time-stamp and locale, Girotuna are perhaps best understood as a post-industrial act with an interest in late-C20th experimental electronics. As such, there's a confluence of drone, IDM, ambient and gritty industrial murk that's instantly engaging in its mysterious confection. The 'dirty ambient' descriptor adopted by O Yuki Conjugate can be applied here also, allied with a slightly more quixotic blend of IDM clicks and cuts that clearly positions the group adjacent to someone like Mike Paradinas or the Mille Plateaux stable without ever sounding exactly like anything attached to it. And undoubtedly, Girotuna's approach is far more homemade in feeling and texture than the more clinical sounds of any German counterparts. It's that private oddness that they gain their unique appeal. It's too easy for sounds like this to disappear without a trace - salute to Vrystaete for keeping the obscured in view (but only just - edition of 150).
