Ant-Zen, the Audio & Visual Arts record label based in Lappersdorf, Germany has introduced the world to a wide spanning view of the darker, more intricate industrial-electronic music scene since the early 90’s. This time around, L’ombre (a.k.a. Stephen Sawyer) presents his 2nd full-length for Ant-Zen, an album consisting of 10 tracks roaming through 50 minutes of luminous, ear-shattering acoustic electronics.
Simulations 1.0 leaves a gritty trail unlike any other. Delivering intensity, corruption and a simulated reality that could be intentionally opaque. The surreal, underpinned ambiences, magnetic breakbeats, broken rhythms and layered percussion are somehow weaved into and out of the mix as you traverse the cuts on this disc. Seemingly meant for complete visual and audible stimulation, the temperature begins to rise midway through; an array of futuristic production cascades through a warm blur of ambience. L’ombre subliminally dips into the negative zone as well; contrasting those warm frequencies with colder melodic tweaks as they flutter above syncopated beats. The result of such a display is an album that is both smooth and agitated at the same time and in just the right places.
Simulations 1.0 is a framed representation of organized, flowing confusion. Aligning layers of simplicity with complexity, L’ombre slices through ambient, industrial, breakbeat and experimentation with emphasis on everything in between. Fans of Gridlock, Tekniq, Displacer and Codec take note.
Simulations 1.0 is out now on Ant-Zen.
