Pentagrams Of Discordia :: Deprogrammed (Pulse State)

Speaking of cults, it’s not wrong to say there’s always been one around a certain Scottish duo, and if you’ve been missing them then I’m pretty sure this lot may have done away with them, drunk their blood and benefitted from the proceedings.

The sheer variety of style and technique present is downright terrifying

I’m a lucky boy. I get to travel to Japan at least once a year for various reasons and I am very aware of how privileged I am to even make it out of my home country so often, much less to a location that many may deem extravagant. Once again, however, I find my destination and favorite activity of music shopping in the land of the rising sun enhanced by some truly amazing music passed my way.

Last time this happened it was the fantastic Found Sound 3 compilation and the time before that Skurken’s Dagur, both on Touched Music. Now, via similar sources I’ve received the most-puzzling Deprogrammed from Pentagrams Of Discordia.

Cloaked in mystery, much like the ominous robe clad goat being that delivered it to me (honestly I was sober), this three track complete trip has truly knocked me off my feet and instead of deprogramming me has pretty much had the opposite. I am sure that this is not by mistake.

The self-titled ‘scenes‘ are more along the lines of auditory sermons and make no mistake, just in the vein of the methods of well known organized ‘religions‘ out there they are calculated, engineered to manipulate and incredibly dangerous. 

Speaking of cults, it’s not wrong to say there’s always been one around a certain Scottish duo, and if you’ve been missing them then I’m pretty sure this lot may have done away with them, drunk their blood and benefitted from the proceedings. You’ll certainly enjoy the use of nostalgic broadcast samples, analog feeling melodies and rhythms, and purposeful callback to simpler times. I don’t care how strong willed you think you are, you’re at serious risk of signing up to anything these lot are peddling. I say ‘these lot‘ as having listened to this front to back around thirty times on repeat I find it incredibly difficult to believe this is the work of one person.

The sheer variety of style and technique present is downright terrifying—both seamless and jarring transitions, multiple genres mashed together and an absolute onslaught of auditory cues trying to get inside your head. The absolute multitude of original compositions, each more captivating than the last, is one of the most fun things I’ve listened to in the last few years.

Think about all those mix tapes you might have once made, in the hope of attracting lovers. Now imagine you had mastered the art of subliminal messaging and were able to twist the will of those that listened. Where would you be now? What could you have nefariously achieved?

I think this lot are dangerous—normally I’d say they must be stopped but it turns out I’m too far gone and already lost to the following. If you can’t beat them, you might as well join them.

Deprogrammed is available on Pulse State. [Bandcamp]