In rotation for the past several weeks, this multi-view reveals the latest electro-sonic landscape from five talented musicians. Plenty of brittle, glitch, abstract, noisy, mechanical and bass-infused sounds with releases by ADJ, Federico Leocata, Fleck E.S.C., RXmode, and ScanOne (remixes by Bitstream, Slaves Of Sinus, TFHats, and W1b0).
ADJ :: Street Life Part 1 EP (Pyramid Transmissions)
Four sonic contusions that ravage the extreme edges of bass-infused electro, acid, and breaks in a smorgasbord of mechanical delight—ADJ stomps the terrain in classic form as the title track ebbs and flows to the far recesses of the mind. Shuffling beats, bass, and acid venture through muddy data streams on “Street Life.” “Deisel Haze” extrudes similar low-end tentacles, its sharp technoid edges and electro-digital decay is meant for repeated listening—an “Odd Jobs” Phoenecian gravitational pull is exhibited here. “Hole In The Valley” is a blistering extraction through mechanized bass and hard-edged breaks that simply do not let up. “Space Invader” is the darkest of the lot—its echo perhaps the heaviest of all, sandblasted drums and scribbling acid noises abound and in full effect. If this is only Part 1, one can only imagine where ADJ will take the listener in its next iteration.
Federico Leocata :: Archetypen EP (Shipwrec)
July saw the release of Italy-based Federico Leocata’s Archtypen, a 4-track, direct and to the point machined electro-techno extended player with a warmth that propels itself in its short duration. “In Der Nacht,” a dark and robust modular piece features a catchy vocodered chorus underpinned by fleeting blips and bleeps as “Zeitdilatation” spins a Detroit-inspired web—meandering tones and low-end bass creates for a sonic symphony. Archtypen is the perfect marriage of undulating leftfield techno emissions with a sensitive 90s-era side.
Fleck E.S.C. :: Discrete Opinion EP (Central Processing Unit)
Broken synthesizers and modular equipment gone awry, Fleck E.S.C. delivers at maximum capacity on the Discrete Opinion extended player—the title track an extraterrestrial electro avalanche built from arcane rhythm blasts, robust drums, and drifting theremin-like melodies. Four tracks in all, “The Selfix Job” is dark and brooding glitch-techno and acidic wobble while the bubbly “Little Man” maintains a Kraftwerkian substructure and bright melodic jolt. “Night And Day” dips into the past, its abstract electronic nature seems somewhat Cylobian—a brisk, brittle, and bubbly IDM tangent which is a must-listen. A Japan-based Frenchman with plenty up his sleeve that we continue to look forward to.
RXmode :: Degraded (The Transhumanism Remixes) EP (Bass Agenda)
Bass Agenda can do no harm, their mission is driven by a passion for sheer electro formation and deformation while RXmode delivers the highly contagious acid-electro squabble that is “Degraded.” A beast in and of itself, rugged machines come to life with piercing highs and lows for the dancefloor to consume. TFhats strips the original to its bare elements, adding a techno veil, lyrical manifest, and a nostalgic late 80s mood. w1b0 alters the sound spectrum with fierce rhythmic deconstruction—turbulent bass, beats, and distortion float by as Slaves Of Sinus strips the audio stems to a skeletal shape—heavy bass-beats, echoes, and subdued knob-twiddling at its finest, this closing remix packs it all in with ferocity. Degraded is an apt title, its backbone a driving electro force to be reckoned with.
ScanOne :: E.OneSeven EP (Analogical Force)
ScanOne blasts the senses in a dark and daunting EP that bends and contorts itself around sublime melodic tones, only to be ravished by spastic beats ricocheting from all angles as featured on the powerful “Core5.” In a faraway universe lies “Re-Turn,” a similar drum-infested maelstrom that blends breakbeats and a 500-lb bassline around crunchy dub rhythms. “Smokemachine” is aptly titled—its dystopian astro-funk soundtrack and fluctuating synthlines float into outer space. A welcomed remix by Bitstream closes the EP taking “Re-Turn” to new heights with echoing, militaristic beatwork and rapid-fire low-pitch contortions to simply elevate the EP’s dynamic production. E.OneSeven is an impacted foray into a beat-centered electro blizzard from one of the masters of the genre.
