The From the Dark series has brought together some of the best and brightest that produce under the wide heading of electro. Despite falling under the genre tag, their music is much more. It challenges. It confounds. It changes. It is a fluid style and this triumvirate of compilations has more than shown it. And, perhaps even more important, these collections have given space to new musicians, to give them a wider audience, and a chance to stand beside some giants of the sound.
It’s tough going getting older. Things keep moving faster and you, well you’re simply getting slower. This might be the case for most of us, though it is not the same for some labels. Cultivated Electronics, now over ten years of age, is as productive as an imprint just starting out. Releases are coming in a steady stream, as are live shows and DJ dates from the label boss Sync 24. To cap it all off the British electro institution has released the third and final installment in its compilation series, From the Dark.
Figureheads of cold clad future funk leap from the sleeve. Morphology. Carl Finlow under his Silicon Scally moniker. Yet, the majority of the double LP has been given over to new and upcoming talent. Take Calderin who offers some “Sudor” for the underground club of choice. The track builds perfectly, blackened static and arcing keys kept in check by strict rhythm patterns. Nomadic is another. After releasing on Touchin’ Bass over a decade ago Alain Hernandez returns with the playful break-filled “Phonologic.” Developing talent abound. Animistic Beliefs, with an EP on CE waiting in the wings, deliver the sci-fi starkness of “Otherworld Biology” while SC-164 of Shipwrec and Subapical fame serving a smolder slice in the shape of “Telegraph.” Sync 24 teams up with an unknown entity, Joonam, with a treat that packs a real punch. Razor edge rhythms are further honed by squealing metal and shrieking keys in a track guaranteed to create some serious damage. The headliners don’t disappoint either. Morphology with the thought-provoking elegance of “Sentinel” with Mr. Finlow whispering an eerie elegy of sliding synths.
The From the Dark series has brought together some of the best and brightest that produce under the wide heading of electro. Despite falling under the genre tag, their music is much more. It challenges. It confounds. It changes. It is a fluid style and this triumvirate of compilations has more than shown it. And, perhaps even more important, these collections have given space to new musicians, to give them a wider audience, and a chance to stand beside some giants of the sound.
From the Dark Volume 3 is available on Cultivated Electronics. [Juno]
