Perhaps you're a bit confused right now. You're reading the artist and title information and wondering what kind of a band names itself "Samarkand/Cloud" and then goes on to call its double-album Pitch Wheel/Wanker?

"Entirely too many slashes there," you're probably thinking.

Well, here's the deal. Samarkand and Cloud are two separate and distinct artists. Their respective albums, Pitch Wheel and Wanker, have been released together, on CD-R, in a unique sort of Siamese-twin dual digipak thing that's been hand-decorated by MJB, Cloud frontman and head honcho of the Semper Lofi label. Now, on to the music.

If you're expecting these albums to be somehow related, you're wrong. If there are parallels intended, I've missed them entirely. The music on Pitch Wheel is described as "a catchy brand of ambient techno-pop," though this sells it a bit short. Don't think of "techno-pop" in nineties terms, as the approach is more eighties -- not new wave, but frequently reminiscent of early New Order (sans vocals). As for ambience, a few songs are reminiscent of the Orb (see "Aside of Ambients"), but most have more in common with older William Orbit material or mid-nineties Waveform stuff. It's a subtle but easily-digestible mix -- the sort of thing you leave on all afternoon.

Cloud's Wanker is a bit more aggressive. After a deceptively calm introduction, "Losing the War with Myself" cuts loose with a vigorous bass/drum attack, posing its questions via curious Casio. The approach here is more guitar-oriented, with a distinct prog-rock bias. Once again, there are no vocals (though sampled speech sometimes appears within the compositions); the keyboard plays this role, chiming in periodically with intricate melodic inquiries. Often, as on "The Guitar Lesson 1934", Wanker seems more modern than Pitch Wheel, referencing the clarity and precision of µ-ziq's melodies -- but dischord and noise remain close at hand.

Are these discs worth tracking down? Most certainly, unless you can't abide instrumental music. If the lovingly DIYed packaging doesn't charm you, Samarkand and Cloud's quirky compositions should provide ample intrigue and appeal.