The eight tracker shows a new breadth to Kokkinakos’ sound, black tracks that will damage a floor alongside more playful numbers. There’s a power and strength to the music, but there is also a sense of distress and disorder.
Some artists are prolific, others less so. But as we all know, quantity does not mean quality. Trenton Chase, aka Demitri Kokkinakos, has only put out two solo releases since 2014 with his most recent being the excellent collaborative Untitled with June as Manie Sans Délire. Deadlock sees Kokkinakos take the bull by the horns with a mini LP of eight tracks.
Based on past 12”s, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this album was by a completely different Trenton Chase. The greased house of The Vampire Of Sacramento and techno thump of The Manor Conspiracy have all but evaporated away, in the opening quartet anyway. The first tracks resemble a path explored by Manie Sans Délire, a route of stark shadows and synth wave. “Hypoxia” introduces the LP, broad keys and stern percussion follow an EBM line. Other pieces ping and fizz, the blip electro of “Cydippe” or warmer tones of “Surge.” There’s also a dark seam running through the record. The title piece is taciturn, industrial echo bathed in reverb, with the flip side taking on a tougher mantle with the gnarled pound of “Open Muzzle.” In fact the track titles of the B-Side actively leer with aggression, the dirty down-and-out bi-polar cheerful sorrow of “Under the Sludge” or the similarly uneven temper of “Nauseous Descent.” “Say So” is cut from the same clothe. Rasping rhythms are central with vocals submerged under oil in a grisled and grunting paranoia.
On further listens it becomes clear that Deadlock is not a total break with Trenton Chase’s previous releases, instead the Greek artist builds on his first two outings whilst calling on his work with June. The eight tracker shows a new breadth to Kokkinakos’ sound, black tracks that will damage a floor alongside more playful numbers. There’s a power and strength to the music, but there is also a sense of distress and disorder. Let’s hope this marks the beginning of a lengthy period of productivity.
Deadlock is available on June.
