Zyxt compliments the past decade of electrical manifests and evolves his sound signature with creative dynamism. Melodic entanglement, percussive wanderings and fluid electronics from start to end.
Better known in the early ’00s as Portland and chiseling electrical bits as Datascraper and Phizek, San Diego resident audio-manipulator Spencer Lytle emerges in revised form as Zyxt—the last word in the online Oxford English Dictionary—for realigned Component Records.
Hello Manic is a well-oiled machine, its roots buried somewhere between the year 2000—2013. Comparisons are a focal point worth noting as Zyxt baffles and bemuses by incorporating early sound influences such as Gridlock, Arovane, Christian Kleine, Global Goon, Exillon, and Gimmik. Hello Manic fuses these various musical branches including brokenbeat, post-industrial, experimental, glitch and ambient with an emotional punch that can’t be ignored. One can easily hear that Zyxt set to encapsulate past sonic expression into one cohesive whole and manages to create memorable sparks along the way.
“Near Miss Effect” invokes a certain synth lapse with lush background droplets, its chilled flow and percussive balance are nostalgic and moving. “TOW(Tired of Waiting)” slithers, clicks and bursts into emotive clarity marked by ambient flutter peppering the landscape as c.db.sn reconfigures into stretched semi-shoegazed terrain. The highlights come in waves. For example, “Lambic,” “Russian River” and “Xytolic” are conveniently remixed by Anklebiter, Raab Codec and Grapht respectively. “Lambic” contains an instrumental beat’n buzz synth which is remixed with acidic undertones and drum’n bass flickering courtesy of label head Raab Codec. “Russian River” exudes an eerie mechanical crunch much in line with the likes of early Eu and Fizzarum productions as Anklebiter shreds the raw elements, pulls it apart and reconfigures for added effect. “Xytolic” maintains a warped feel and rhythmic patter of synths combined with interlaced waveforms as Grapht twists the original into an old-school flavored Detroit rhythm inspired by emotive experimental electro acid-clicks.
Zyxt compliments the past decade of electrical manifests and evolves his sound signature with creative dynamism. Melodic entanglement, percussive wanderings and fluid electronics from start to end. A welcomed return for both artist and label in 2013.
Hello Manic is available on Component. [Release page]
