Intricate Maximals is like a bag of M&Ms -- we all know we'll be getting an assortment of candy-coated chocolate pieces, but everyone has a favorite color -- and that's the real reason for buying the bag. Similarly, Intricate Maximals, offers an assortment of IDM/experimental electronic tracks from eighteen of Audiobulb's artists. There are some definite gems here, but as with our bag of M&Ms, some are only worth consuming as a way to get to the next track (or the red M&M). Diagram of Suburban Chaos's "So Gone" is a definite highlight -- a surprisingly emotive IDM piece that fuses ethereal synthesizers with laptop bleeps and blurps. Cedar A.V., whose members include Nicholas Sanborn of Decibully, contribute the solid "Song for a Republic", which layers electronic beats over a post-rock guitar riff. Other tracks, such as Another Electronic Musician's "Qualm" and Calika's "Latticel Work", are more stereotypical IDM, but they highlight their respective creators' proficiency in the genre.

Audiobulb clearly has a very competent roster; not everything on Intricate Maximals is unique or groundbreaking, but the overall product is a palatable mix of yellows, greens, browns and, yes, reds.