(05.24.08) [Ref. D::N Playlist #286] This week was another blend of new(er) and old(er) releases brought together within several genre’s. Here’s a snapshot of the new(er) titles featured…
Rontronik (Ron Croudy) is currently reshaping the sound of Toshoklabs, a label that was seemingly dormant over the last few years but has casually reemerged with the announcement of several new releases. On Sparks of Ice, Ron breaks through layers of furious basslines, crisp electro and industrial noise. It is clearly apparent that Rontronik has torn through the past to reshape the future of Toshoklabs. “Sparks of Ice” and “Global Warning,” two of three cuts featured on D::N #286, simply strip the fabric of noise to its bare minimum and molds dark matter into electronic perfection. Switching gears to the sound of harsher industrial realities, Disharmony‘s latest entitled Cloned: Other Side Of Evolution) for fledging Tympanik Audio collects several Disharmony remixes of post-industrial acts such as Stendeck, Polygram, Anhedonia, Empty, Mnemonic (and others); a compilation that focuses solely on desolate beats ricocheting from distressed melodies. Dry landscapes covered with eroded soil forms the foundations of Cloned…, a highlight for a label that continues to grow with each release. Oxyd (an alias of Disharmony) released Larva in 2007 with Aliens Production and firmly ties the roots of tribal infested percussion marred with sultry rhythms; “Voices of Sand” encapsulates this sound with vocoders gone astray and frayed bleeps colliding with each other. Blackfilms self-titled release (feature cover-art) for Spectraliquid is an epic in itself, its tracks spanning through downbeat territory, Blackfilm triggers other worlds with dark cinematic manifesto’s, Middle-Eastern motifs, surreal plateaus of confusion and soundtrack driven waves of sonic beauty; completely unexpected, Blackfilm captures shadow’s of time and rearranges them to extreme effect.
Moving into more tranquil minimal dub we see Krill.Minima transmitting lost layers of ambience into an upbeat platform of low-riding basslines for Native State Records; “Kronen Dab” is the perfect morning brew of strong espresso with light flavor and a dab on organic sugar. The same imprint offers KiloWatts‘ Ground State full-length; breaking through and out of the casualness of dub, James Watts breaths danceable life into his sound spheres and with “Monument,” KilloWatts manages to refine bass, beats and rhythms by elevating them with subtle melodic shapes. The Itch Incident‘s A Deck Without Pause EP blends chilled rhythms with erratic electronics and even a few elements of dub, jazz and noise; “The Itch” is the perfect mix of heavy bass, disjointed vocal extracts and smooth beatwork and is a definite contender amongst the onslaught of up and coming musicians trying to make a wave in the ocean of electronic-based music. Emanual Errante‘s fascination with ambience is quite evident on Humus, his latest offering for Native State Records’ sub-label, Somnia. “Radio Hopes,” only one of the eleven tracks featured on Humus delves through liquefied low-end and meek layers of ambient propulsion that is inevitably uplifting. The definition of organic sound is amplified with Emanual Errante’s view of the world in the form of music that compliments chiseled mountain tops and peculiar lifeforms adorning them. Freeze Etch‘s Vessels for Force Of Nature Productions opens the flood-gates full of chunky beats, distorted industrial debris, and cold grooves that slither into unknown groves; “Vehicularism,” while maintaining a constant flow, is the epitome of broken techno; its range suggests that Freeze Etch can contain sound while releasing it to engage his listeners. Vessels takes its own misshapen identity and counteracts it by developing a genre devoid of classification.
Resonant introduces the debut release of Our Sleepless Forest and their self-titled epic is a masterpiece combining collages of shoegaze ambience with worldly percussion, torn guitars and a contagious atmosphere of musical noise. Our Sleepless Forest should be explored from start to end as it shatters the tendencies to remain in one specified category. Ripping through and beyond what you’d expect on a debut release, Our Sleepless Forest mystifies the ear and delights the heart. DTD’s contribution to the relatively new Mioku compilation on Controne brings back memories of Toytronic Record’s flare for highly emotive melodies and sparkling electronic production; DTD does so with chipped melodies and experimentally intact beatwork; the entire compilation ranges from ambient, downbeat, chill and experimental. Though it may seem like Controne can’t hold firm ground in terms of one style, the focus on fuzzy electronics is more than likely the labels intent. Giving an audible teaser of what the imprint has in store; artists such as Lackluster, Esem, Sektor, Adj, Kliment and several others make their appearance known and we’ll be sure to hear more from this label that has already delivered several MP3 releases over the past few years. Closing up with Combustion‘s self-released ï¿1/2lï¿1/2phant EP, it is clear that there are quite a few artists that must be heard in the heap of musicians trying to make an impact. The ï¿1/2lï¿1/2phant EP, a gem that shines in two directions, features “Fake ID,” where darkened vocals flow rhythmically and perpendicular to complex electrical shards of noise crashing from one side to the other. Its counterpart, “ï¿1/2lï¿1/2phant,” takes on the shape of a My Bloody Valentine versus Ulrich Schnauss collaboration; 7-minutes of organized distortion, evolving and devolving into mind-bending layers of bliss; simply gorgeous. The EP can be downloaded at www.combustion.ws.
Digital::Nimbus is a weekly electronic music radio show broadcasting from KUCI 88.9 FM in the Irvine, California and surrounding areas with streaming media available at KUCI.org. For more information visit digitalnimbus.com.
