There is enough momentum to send you off balance, but just like a swinging metronome dumped in the burning car tyre piles of this world, always finds it centre just at the right moments.
Teleporting you to a world of dubbed out subs and fractured electronics
Entering the mind of Shawn Shackelford aka RENEGADE ANDROiD, with his latest release Batteries Not Included, from the get-go teleports you to a world of dubbed out subs and fractured electronics. Projecting a dizzying display of tingling glitch, combined with woozy pad work.
Shackelford carefully balances utopia and dystopia in this futuristic exploration, proving he has a delicate temperament, yet can apply raw force when the mood strikes. There is appreciations and nods to various sub-genres throughout, that is not presented for tick-box purposes, but to display Shackelford’s appetite for the scene he is akin to.
The opening track “FourtyFour,” sets us firmly into the industrial landscape surrounded by toxic waste. The clouds won’t part just yet as “Coldspace,” flexes into a post-breakcore nightmare of a Bladerunner. It is not entirely apocalyptic—RENEGADE ANDROiD shows a sleight of hand with tracks “Eclectric,” and the title track showcasing some off-kilter bouncy synth work to accompany the frantic eruption of breaks. There is enough momentum to send you off balance, but just like a swinging metronome dumped in the burning car tyre piles of this world, always finds it centre just at the right moments.
This is Point Source Electronic Arts seventh release, a label that is less than a year old. With this concise and focused work from RENEGADE ANDROiD, certainly a collective to keep an eye on.
Batteries Not Included is available on Point Source Electronics Arts. [Bandcamp]
