In one regard Momento Mori is steeped in nostalgia. This is a sound that conjures up creatures that stalked cinema screens in John Carpenter’s films and the unstable sociopaths that lurked down alleys on television sets. This is not just rose-tinted retrospection, it is an album that revives and reimagines that iconic synthesizer music of the silver screen.
Spain’s electronic music scene has been steadily growing over the past few years. New labels have been popping up alongside artists and club nights. This growth is not just restricted to major cities. Waste Editions opened its doors three years ago with the Almeria imprint continuing to expand and build its roster of like minded musicians.
The mini-LP is the format of choice for Vortice Mortale’s debut release. A solo project of The Hunt’s Herbert West, the style on offer harks back to the emblematic synth soundtracks of the 1980s whilst adding a fair dollop of dancefloor dynamism. The disco aromatics of “Voci Dal Nulla” opens. Broad bright bars are flecked with golden flourishes in this warming work of cosmic funk. The mood changes with “Hybirdation.” Slow and deliberate, a darker atmosphere descends before being lifted back into the light by “L’Aldilà.” Vortice Mortale balances these two ends of the spectrum across the six tracks, exploring sepulchral sounds in retuned horror scores like “Danse Macabre” while “Momento Mori” vividly beams. A stand out track from the record is “Cyclic Spectral Phenomena.” Cascading arpeggios are cut with a snapping beat as synthlines swim and soar in a track heavily influenced by Moroder’s classic “The Chase.”
In one regard Momento Mori is steeped in nostalgia. This is a sound that conjures up creatures that stalked cinema screens in John Carpenter’s films and the unstable sociopaths that lurked down alleys on television sets. This is not just rose-tinted retrospection, it is an album that revives and reimagines that iconic synthesizer music of the silver screen. West has his own unique touch, a touch that has balance and form and one that will undoubtedly bring goosebumps to a new generation.
Momento Mori is available on Waste Editions.
