Michael Morton, hailing from Toronto, (Ontario) Canada is the founding member of Displacer. His debut album on the Paris, France based M-Tronic imprint brings him much recognition and well deserved credit for producing an album packed with robotic electronics, frustrated melodies, and mechanical percussion tied in with cold ambient frequencies. With influences such as Testament, Frontline Assembly, Skinny Puppy, Gridlock, Speedy J and Boards of Canada to name a few, Displacer introduces his soundscapes with careful samples, and emotive layers laced with peaceful rhythms.
Seemingly out of no-where we see Displacer releasing layer upon layer of beautifully crafted electronics that are usually persuaded by dark and glitchy atmospherics. Three excellent remixes are also included on this disc, executed by Ch.District (new M-tronic signing from Poland), Beefcake and Gridlock. It’s also important to note that Moon Phase is pressed on an exquisitely crafted Digi-Pak that has art-work describing minimalism and textural electronic debris on this well-oiled full length. Imagine what would happen if alien-robots invaded the earth and planted the seeds of their offspring to cultivate the planet and its every sound. You’d probably notice Moon Phase casually drifting into the backdrop while faded sunsets, decayed forests, and emotional machines mark the skyline of what could very well be a displaced reality. This is the climate of Moon Phase, one described by these futuristic visions, and one that is audible with thorough listening and reflection.
While just a few of the sounds emanating from this disc have been described, the rest is left for the listener to absorb and digest within the confines of their own coordinates. As Displacer puts it, “Without Cynth (Goddess of the Moon), this album would not exist”.. We’ll take his word for it, but definitely count on this album being ranked high on the slightly industrialized experimental electronic richter-scale.
