Ant-Zen, and its Hymen offspring, continually pound the ears one release at a time with a passion for revealing the finest in terms of visual-audio electronics welded to industrialized layers. Here’s a trio of releases that hit the shelves over the past several months, and an audio synopsis.
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Abs6 :: Audiomedikation (Hymen)
Skittering industrialized tech-bass is administered on Audiomedikation, Hymen’s answer to the missing gap between dark and light. Sliced dub is laced with a fidgeting wash of rubberized beats equating to rhythm-heavy breaks with all the right analogous ingredients. And with all of the possible adjectives to describe these tracks, Abs6 weaves pieces of emotive beauty throughout. Technoid warehouse-ready swirls also appear to sweep around drill’n bass snapshots. Though the temperature rises within the core of Audiomedikation, it also drops rather drastically and crystalizes into video-game grooves, bells, bleeps and crunched anthems. Fluid electronica from start to end. Audiomedikation is out now on Hymen. [Release page]
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the_empath :: Meanwhile (Hymen)
Meanwhile is the_empath’s personal justification of subdued ambient bass. Each textured melody spirals across shades of charcoal, and on the edges is a trudging body of work encompassing bass-laden effects, samples and an upbeat architecture, both warm and inviting. Plastic rivets keep the melodious flows in check as the_empath stretches out and manifests a prowess of sound control. Even with the bundles of electrons and raw bass lines, Meanwhile exudes depth and a highly evolved sense of unison. Each low-tumbling slice of future space junk is filled with an emotive trajectory and piercing electronic voice leaving Meanwhile in a class of its own. Meanwhile is out now on Hymen. [Release page]
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Zero Degree :: Probe (Ant-Zen)
Phonem’s Hydro Electric (Morr Music, 2000) springs to mind when consuming Probe. Track lengths in the nine plus minute range allows Zero Degree to fully realize each creation. A minimal dub-techno feeling is braced alongside stretched analog noise, rugged bass, pounding percussion and veiled atmospheres. As each awakening moment is accented with transparent melodies, brooding tones flicker in the background. There’s no question that Probe should be examined with an open ear; its curious rhythms and sonic shadows breath life into decaying sound boxes. Keep this album close by when you need an escape from reality, its radiating frequencies, heavy layering, tranquilized cycles and hypnotic pulse will displace you, easily. Probe is out now on Ant-Zen. [Release page]
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