very very small inclusions - Dispersions

very very small inclusions

Dispersions
self-released; 2014

4.0 out of 5

By Jamie Robash

The Glasgow Scotland male/female duo of Craig and Han perform under the name very very small inclusions and make dreamy psychedelic dance pop. When discussing their recent album Dispersions they shied away from calling it a concept album. Rather they prefer to consider each of Dispersions ten tracks as concept songs in themselves. It is their thinking that each track shows its subject matter as an individual entity. 

The common thread they use to link each of the songs together is the theme of nature and more specifically light dispersion for which the album takes its name. While writing these songs very very small inclusions had the intention in mind that Dispersions would induce a sense of bliss in the listener but also a slightly hidden feeling of sadness too. 

One sees and hears these concepts from the very beginning of Dispersions. The opening track, “Stuttered Silence” is an ethereal chant which echoes like voices in a canyon. It almost acts as the music that would open up a film; it sets a mood and then builds up from there rather nicely. 

The second track “Winter Solstice” gets things moving a little more with downtempo dances beats and the soft-spoken vocals Craig and Han employ on their songs. Their harmonization is something that should be mentioned and singled out, because it is often beautiful and very spot on. This downtempo dance beat is something that also works really well later on a track called “Fire Fire.” Here again the downtempo drumbeat is mixed with bright synths and a bit of a rocking and jazzy guitar loop. 

Not every concept always works in very very small inclusions favor though, like on the trippy “Cyclonic” which seems to get lost in its own sound. The tune is very upbeat but there are too many instrument samples, and the vocals seem lost in the background. It would likely have worked much better as an instrumental. The same goes for the track “Degraded” which doesn’t have vocals, though uses vocal samples that are at times slowed down and the song comes off as slightly cliché. However Dispersions makes up for this with other tracks like the clubby and head bobbing electronic romp “On the Ceiling” and equally clubby and ultra-catchy “Sun Shards.”

One thing that is very clear on Dispersions is that very very small inclusions has made a very good electropop album. I’m not sure if their idea of making concept songs will translate to the listener, but what will translate are the mellow grooves and ethereally sweet harmonies. 

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