In order to survive, one must diversify; this is especially true in the world of music. Like any set of living organisms, a musician or band must find new ways to perform and express itself to maintain the interest of the audience and avoid stagnation, all the while adhering to a basic set of factors to identify it. With the release of Boom Operator, the new full-length album from Iammynewt, Chris Cozort has done this very thing – maintaining a genuinely electronic sound while carrying it into areas that distinguish it from his past output. Cozort is the true definition of an underground artist – building from the ground up with an impressive list of production and mastering credits under his belt, several compilation appearances, and with two frantic and energetic solo works under his belt; namely, the Altercation EP and the Ohaka collaboration with Skullduggery, both of which featured a dizzying array of caustic atmospheres and spastic glitch-laden beats. Boom Operator marks Cozort’s first full-length album, presenting to listeners an hour of his inimitably eclectic musical style. Where most would feel the need to expand on the sounds already established by past work and push the limits, Iammynewt goes in a different direction with Boom Operator, employing the more restrained approach to K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Silly). Boom Operator features 16 tracks of simplified loop-based structures, full of melodic passages that build layer upon layer with little in the way of flourish or flair. From the thundering beats and repeating four-chord phrases of album opener “iRish” evoking an early form of IDM similar to the first releases by Aphex Twin and Autechre, to the faux-piano passages topped with a light breakbeat and ambient pads creating an elegiac quality in “MyPianoSong,” the album shows Cozort doing little to embellish the music, giving these songs an almost whimsical and naive aspect. Traces of drum & bass appear in “IgetUP” and “buRst” while “NUTHOUSE” and “mEEowuh” indicate a proto-EBM or power noise mentality, all indicative of Cozort’s connection to the modern music scene, helping Boom Operator to rise above a simple stylistically retro album. Renowned artist Martin Atkins even lends his drumming to a remix of “canU,” giving the ominous track an extra bit of power that helps end the album on an even edgier note. As musicians and producers continue to find ways to up the ante, Iammynewt’s backwards and minimalist approach with Boom Operator achieves a sound that is at once catchy as it is daring in its nostalgic naivety. To what plains of musical exploration will Chris Cozort take listeners to next? Track list for 'boom operator': 1. iRish 2. IgetUP 3. MyPianoSong 4. doUh8me 5. cRam 6. no2U 7. mEEowuh 8. canU 9. URN 10. tekNitioN 11. buRst 12. 2Steps 13. NUTHOUSE 14. GERmE 15. boom operator 16. canU (featuring Martin Atkins on Drums).