Critic's Review
Matt Borghi, All Music Guide
A fantastic and dynamic recording, Smile on the Void is a thoughtful compilation of varying works. It could be tied together a little tighter thematically, but this collection of recordings manages to be just different enough to be interesting. A Produce's work is thoughtfully arranged, and the sequence of the tracks provides for an interesting and tasteful sonic excursion into a world of dream-laden contemplation. One unique aspect of this recording is the different types of sounds A Produce has managed to coax out of his equipment. Whether it's the synthesizers that he's using, the post-production work, or a combination of the two, A Produce's chosen timbres and the way they are blended, cross-faded, and ultimately mixed brings the listener into the very core of the music. This collection is also different from A Produce's previous Hypnos work, Altara, the 1999 collaboration with M. Griffin, because it isn't all atmospheric ambient -- there's some djembe, guitar, and a variety of other carefully chosen timbres. Smile on the Void has a very distinct sound -- it's dark, and placid in places, but very organic and warm in others -- thus, another way that the recording's dynamic is illustrated.
