The perpetual soundscapes deepen a sinister background dialogue all closely drawn together by a pulsating collection of rhythmic fractures.
A pulsating collection of rhythmic fractures
Archival sound sculptures emerge from a salvaged disk. Dusting off this digital (live) relic, we can be thankful it has not succumb to disintegration or rot—the Miami sands have done well to preserve the resonant polyglot layering. Carbon dating suggests this has been distinctly created by engineers from the golden age of IDM, who have remained behind the scenes for quite some time—until now.
Megastructure presents the first new release from Schematic chiefs Romulo Del Castillo and Joshua Kay (aka Phoenecia) with MD.SLVG. The duo remain true to their identity in this long-form 3-track excursion into worlds unknown. Movements are often granular in pace right until the unforeseen vortex swallows the surveyor whole.
Throughout MD.SLVG, the listener is met with stretching crescendos teetering on sensory overload. Phoenecia sustain dominance within these diligent assaults, proving with confidence their use of sonic artillery would dissipate in the hands of a lesser known wielder. It feels instinctive.
Much of this release leans toward the darker notions of the duo’s catalog, which feels very fitting coming out on Megastructure. The perpetual soundscapes deepen a sinister background dialogue all closely drawn together by a pulsating collection of rhythmic fractures.
Sections of note include the 17-minute mark of the title track, showcasing a plethora of auditory tangents that tingles the spine. The opening 5-minutes to following track “VERTEBRAL DETACHMENT,” navigates your senses through an interstellar journey skimming the black-hole, whilst the outgoing 5-minutes allows moments to breath just enough before the hyper-drive is kick-started into finale “EJJ10.” The journey is both an inner and outer body experience. For new listeners, this may warrant some caution—yet you are in very capable hands; Phoenecia continue to articulate experimental electronics in a way that only a handful of others can be celebrated for.
Are we being treated to an opener of a series in lost discoveries, or could this even be a nod to a full return to form? A close eye on the socials highlight a live date in October and even indicate a Soul Oddity account appearing in the wild… but we can only speculate for now of course.
MD.SLVG is available on Megastructure September 14, 2021 as MiniDisc/DL. [Bandcamp]
