Cognitive Dissonance is aptly named because the tracks induce a sense of confusion and awe—they somehow manage to be simultaneously stripped-back and fiendishly intricate at the same time. Just close your eyes, turn it up, and let it move you.
IDM-derived electro bangers that sound better the louder you listen to them
Don’t go searching randomly on the internet for Trichome. Not only are there several acts releasing music under this moniker, the word refers to “fine outgrowths or hairs on plants, algae, lichens“—and marijuana buds. In marketing-speak, the SEO for the term is very competitive.
Instead, head directly to the Schematic Music Company’s Bandcamp and stream, or better still, purchase and download, the new release from Barry Hewitt, who has been DJ’ing and recording as DJ Trichome since the early 2000s, but for who’s finally put out a full album of absolute filth—IDM-derived electro bangers that sound better the louder you listen to them.
Cognitive Dissonance is aptly named because the tracks induce a sense of confusion and awe—they somehow manage to be simultaneously stripped-back and fiendishly intricate at the same time. The tempos range from chill to frantic—”The Thoth Lowrider” lives up to its name with a slow-rolling 80s groove, while the middle section of “Thelema” could accompany the highest-impact part of your shelter-in-place Zumba workout, were you so inclined. But the sonic elements retain their character throughout: the clicky, microscopically precise percussion that underpins the classic Schematic releases (Phoenicia’s seminal Brownout chief among them), huge, deadly bass pressure, particularly on “Randy Bulbz,” and abstract melodic and textural elements that morph and warble on top of everything.
Clocking in at a compact 39 minutes, the six tracks on Cognitive DIssonance never outstay their welcome. Some, like the closer “Seraphimzt,” move through three or four distinct moods in their runtime. The immaculate production and mastering (courtesy of Merck, Plastic, and Kranky stalwart Audible Oddities—aka Shawn Hatfield / Twerk) bring every hit and glitch into sharp relief. “Dark Cabal,” the album’s opener, perhaps exemplifies this otherworldly clarity best, with six or seven distinct rhythmic elements weaving in and out.
If you’ve read this far, you’re already involved. Just close your eyes, turn it up, and let it move you.
Cognitive Dissonance is available on Schematic. [Bandcamp]
