Introvertmusic :: Crunch EP (Detroit Underground)

With Introvertmusic’s more robotic and chiseled tones, these are heavily processed sound-sculptures worth diving head-first into.

Distorted rhythmic switching and mechanical pulsars

Oh, here’s some noises. No, it’s not a direct reference to Lexaunculpt’s 1998 EP on Isophlux, but it’s the first thing that came to mind when the opening track, “Sushi TV,” revved its engines at full throttle—although Lexaunculpt usually kept a slow(er)-mechanical pace. No, this project is not at all related to Crunch (the duo composed of Dave Tipper and Mike Wallis), but it’s the first thing that came to mind when the subsequent track, “Ice Cave” ricocheted its glitch abstracts and pitter-patter beatwork crackles. Crunch simply (and accurately) describes the sound and pathway exhibited on these seven sonic slices.

All manner of distorted rhythmic switching and mechanical pulsars are transmitted on this EP. “Shifting Mechanism” and “Rainy day space ship” are the optimum selections; placed midway through, they offer laser-beam precision and just the right amount of blips’n bleeps surrounded by atmospheric veils. Such powerful soundscapes and dystopian escapes provide enough range and subtle changes taking us through the next decade of high-fidelity glitch movements. It’s no wonder Dennis Stein (aka Introvertmusic) is also a video artist; above and beyond constructing creative audio/visual designs with exquisite fluidity, Stein sheds the reticent name-tag for a moment, and explores new worlds for 28-minutes.

Layered with microscopic elements and rolling percussive sparks (ref. “The Midnight Society”) to darker malfunctioning media strands, as evidenced on “When will now be then,” this EP is a surreal and creative force. “Dat Heat” takes us back to downtempo-glitch origins as mentioned earlier (ref. Lexaunculpt, and more specifically The Blurring of Trees on Planet Mu, 2003 to other classic glitch/IDM producers like Apparat, edIT, Tipper, Access to Arasaka, Funkstörung et al), and yet with Introvertmusic’s more robotic and chiseled tones, these are heavily processed sound-sculptures worth diving head-first into.

Crunch is available on Detroit Underground. [Bandcamp]