V/A :: Distant Arrays Volume 08 (Satellite Era)

The Distant Arrays series comes to a close with its eighth release, showcasing for one last time, new entries in the Satellite Era family, and generally upcoming artists that would benefit from some kind of push like this.

A welcomed finale

This brief EP shines light on four talented artists: Iris Ipsum, Smokestax, s8jfou, and Holovue—showcasing their own style of IDM, as the grooves on all four tracks are pretty distinct from one another. There seems to be a general inspiration from Autechre, however, the music isn’t nearly as complex as Booth’n Brown—and thank god it isn’t. This EP is what I imagine Autechre’s music would sound like to me if I actually took the time to understand it. As a result, this release has a really neat sense of cohesion despite its brevity, as its overall approach is really textured, intricate and reshuffles your train of thought.

As I already stated, I’m very much a fan of each artist having their own distinct approach, and the result is an abstract EP that seems like it was made by one person with a specific aesthetic in mind but that was also trying so many different styles that they’d have to be really, really good to pull all of them off this well. The music is, indeed, really good, and that’s why releases like this are always very much appreciated: you may not even give a shot to any of these artists if you saw one of their records somewhere, just out of pure laziness really, but when formatted like this, it’s easier to have the mindset of “Let’s see what these guys are up to.” Turns out, you’d be missing out, because each of them are very clearly talented, and I really hope we get to see some Satellite Era LPs from them in the future.

The opening “Flowform,” courtesy of Iris Ipsum, strikes a great balance between intricacy and melodics. It opens up with an atmospheric passage, which bursts into a really sweet chord progression. It almost sounds like the soundtrack for a hyper-futuristic city. A colorful and sparkly electro beat then makes its way in, and it’s so vibrant that it’s almost odd at first when compared to the polished intro, but quickly turns out to be a great choice as the rest of the track fades back in from this isolated rhythmic interlude. It’s such a great combination, as this glitchy groove clashes with super polished synths and it all works great thanks to the futuristic sound each component holds as it unifies the piece as a whole.

Erratic accents and syncopated kicks ::

Then follows “Squish,” a rather straightforward tune in comparison to “Flowform.” The groove is kept much simpler, as it structures a proper groove instead of throwing out erratic accents and syncopated kicks. The hi-hats do provide some nice variation though, and the rest of the tune centers a lot around its fluid bass and all sorts of wiggly acid textures. It’s surely the most cheerful track out of the four.

s8jfou is up next, and answers the question “What if The Prodigy’s Firestarter was IDM?” Sounds like one of those garbage YouTube video essays that you’d never click on, as no one has likely asked themselves that question ever, but either way, here’s the answer—and, yeah, it’s pretty great—maybe I would watch that video. The drum groove I’m immediately hooked onto, as any kind of breakbeat will make my ears perk up, but it’s also great how the track manages to still be as groovy as it is with all the zany textures on top. Lots of erratic synths spazzing all over the place, simulating some kind of broken buzzsaw, and then the tune switches into a far more mellow part, still keeping its rhythm section tight; I absolutely love the transition here, there’s a split second of silence that makes the entrance of these new lead synths very pleasing.

The best is saved for last, with Holovue’s “Transient” being my favorite of the bunch. If I liked the breaks on “Your Silence,” then be sure I also love the chopped garage grooves on this tune as well. I am also a big fan of how slowly this track develops, as it takes quite a bit for it to fully shine. The first half may seem like it’s not really going anywhere, but its purpose it to establish a contrast with the second half; an almost mystical transition with wind chimes greatly enhancing the way the drums fade back in, and I surely love the timbre of the synths in this second half. The piece goes from a futuristic garage tune to an atmospheric beast, and the mixing is especially great; there’s a big sense of space and everything is still very much distinct and appreciable as it is.

And that concludes the EP, and with it the series as well. Instead of doing a sum up like I usually do, I’ll limit myself to saying that Distant Arrays Volume 08 is very much a welcomed finale, ending things with a bang and a half! I hope to hear more from each of these artists soon.

Distant Arrays Volume 08 is available on Satellite Era. [Bandcamp]