A behemoth in the field of crumbling experimental electronic music, Oblivion Engine inches its way to the top of our best releases of 2023.
Mysterious and groove-laden from start to finish
Tomoroh Hidari (aka Oliver Stummer) never ceases to amaze, and finding his work on Schematic—the long-running Miami imprint that curated IDM’s starting points in mid/late 90s (Metic, Jeswa, Phoenecia, Richard Devine, Push Button Objects et al)—isn’t a surprise either. Opening with brisk and bass-heavy electro flashes on “Sil Icon (Un-Carne Vale),” and we’re off to a great start. The manner in which these tracks come together is baffling; take “AverroesSswingg [sic!]” and its staccato beats, crunchy rhythm, and futuristic synths; simply mysterious and groove-laden from start to finish. Fans of Jack Dangers’ sliced beats’n bleeps should take note.
But wait, there’s more!
The EP also sheds layers upon layers of downtempo acid slabs (“anikim (鏡)”) and scorched industrial fragments (“Protoplasticity”) leaning ever so slightly on darker technoid constructs. It’s all here, laid out before our eyes and ears; a densely composed collection of tangled electronics that scrapes through the landscape like no other.
The closing two epic remixes of “anikim” by Lagowski could very well be a release of its own—”remix 1″ features additional squelching and ultra-processed glitch, echoes, and mangled synths as “remix 2” is a seventeen minute atmospheric opus; drifting with microscopic tones, drones, and ghostly glow.
A behemoth in the field of crumbling experimental electronic music, Oblivion Engine inches its way to the top of our best releases of 2023.
Oblivion Engine is available on Schematic Music Company. [Bandcamp]
