First available during
Broadcast
's tours in 2003 and 2005,
Microtronics, Vols. 1-2
collects the witty electronic miniatures that the band initially released on mini compact discs befitting the pieces' short lengths. On the surface, these snippets seem like outliers in
's discography -- not least because
Trish Keenan
's vocals barely appear on them -- but their connections to the rest of the group's body of work soon become apparent. Microtronics, Vol. 1 appeared when
still had a full band lineup, and the jazz-influenced backbone of their sound on
The Noise Made by People
and to a lesser extent
Haha Sound
makes itself known on the rolling rhythms of "Microtronics 01" and "Microtronics 05." Ironically, "Microtronics 03," which pairs breakbeats that sound like typing with dreamy atmospheres, and "Microtronics 21," which seems like it was arranged for a punch-card machine, sound more like typical
Warp
releases of the time than
's usual electronic psych-pop. These short, anonymously titled pieces evoke the band's love of library music in different ways than they usually did, but given their size, each track packs a lot of personality, whether it's the spooky jazz of "Microtronics 07," the underwater calypso of "Microtronics 14," the
BBC Radiophonic Workshop
homage of "Microtronics 19," or the gentle drones and chromatic percussion of "Microtronics 20," which calls to mind
Raymond Scott
's
Soothing Sounds for Baby
. Elsewhere,
reflects the direction
's music took on
Tender Buttons
, the album they made between the creation of these vignettes. The dry drum machines and effervescent synths on "Microtronics 17," "Microtronics 04," and "Microtronics 10" all feel like precursors and extensions of the inspired minimalism
Keenan
and
James Cargill
pursued on their third full-length. Some pieces are even more long sighted, evoking the collages the duo made with
Julian House
on
Broadcast and the Focus Group Investigate the Witch Cults of the Radio Age
, as on "Microtronics 13"'s juxtaposition of a distant, ghostly melody with a shuffling beat and mammoth bass. Throughout the collection,
sound as vivid as they do on their full-fledged albums; while it may be their most abstract music, it's frequently captivating. ~ Heather Phares