Kaosis "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." (2024)

 
Yesterday I laid the groundwork for discussing this record by talking about Slitknot s debut demo album Mate Feed Kill Repeat.. Recorded by original vocalist Anders Colsefni and Aussie band Kaosis, I'll make the assumption that it was a test run for getting back into this material. In recent weeks, Anders has been playing the whole (original) record live in Australia, coinciding with the record's thirtieth anniversary. There is however a twist, this version of MFKR was released without Ander's blessing.

Despite that, it's been a fun listening experience, however, the record does take some creative liberties. It starts off as a faithful recreation of the original material, updating aesthetics with modern production and clearer tone. Either an embellishment or for audible clarity, the more discrete elements of sampling, synth and noises that play under the traditional instruments can be heard. The bomb sirens of Slipknot feel apt, yet synths chime in on its melodies. I didn't get a sense that was originally buried.

Gently continues on similar footing, the acoustic guitar tones sound particularly gorgeous. As we get into Do Nothing/Bitchslap, the songs ambition really comes to life. The chemistry of its Funk Metal groove blooms in this aesthetic romp where we hear samples, baselines and synths gel. Only One and Tattered & Torn are pretty hard hitting, direct ragers which mostly maintain that stern brutality. These little Synth embellishments really start to add up at this point. These numbers definitely didn't have those elements buried in the mix somewhere. It softens the harsh vibes a touch.

On Confessions, the creative liberties heighten. Now the keys are really fleshing out the spaces between they can occupy, adding a different flavor to the track. Musically, it's clever, apt, well executed. But in terms of being faithful to the original material, it's veering off course. Additional melodies and chords feel unnecessary despite fitting in. Some Feel doesn't receive this level of attention, yet it's just enough to steer the track away from that darker identity. Killers Are Quiet claws it back. The dark ambient samples within play far more audible. A real delight but with no hidden Dogfish Rising.

All in all, this re-recording is such a fun indulgence. Hearing the additional, rather colorful, musicality is fun throughout. At times it illuminates the eclectic side of an experimental embryonic Slipknot, giving you a sense of what might have been. In other moments, it derails. These musicians get caught up in their own additions. This unsanctioned version doesn't feel as close to the original intention. It was still a blast! I'm glad this exists, It helps illuminate how brilliant the original demo album was.

Rating: 7/10

Slipknot "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." (1996)

  
Once their debut album, now retroactively labeled a demo album. Slipknot's original incarnation was a curious machination of Death Metal and the emerging Nu Metal groove. If their masked avatars weren't wild enough, the band periodically burst into bizarre tangents of Funk Metal and Disco. Echo's of the early 90s Alternative linger but MFKR is mostly a dark mysterious beast born of loose experimentation.

With original bandmates Shawn Crahan, Joey Jordison, Paul Gray and Craig Jones all present, its an interesting observation that so much of the identity defining guitar work is present. Josh Brainard and Donnie Steele deserve much credit for laying down those darkly brutal riffs. A lot of their material ends up spread over Slipknot's next three albums, often reshaped, the self titled number sped up for the classic Sic.

Yet to find Corey Taylor, the band have a fine frontman in Anders Colsefni, who introduces those little Rap Metal verses, alongside barrages of brutal guttural vocals and raw throaty screams. His cheesy opening lyrics vent frustrations around the game Ultima Online But beyond this silly oddity, the themes get dark and serious swiftly. Gently, heard later on Iowa, has its meditative catharsis, swaying between calm and unease on the march to its grandiose riff that marks a peak as the song closes.

Do Nothing Bitchslap Is the first song to really test the limits. Dropping into a sly Lounge Jazz Funk groove, the song plays a game of pivoting between Death Metal and this easier temperament which gradually shifts into a disco groove. So too does its heavier end sway into manic guitar discordance and feverish grinding intensities. It plays like a bad acid trip walking among the halls of a carnival house of horrors.

Only One and Tattered & Torn are much like on the self titled record. Both fully written, here they just have a rawer edge which Anders does justice too. Confessions has to be my favorite song. Me and a friend used to listen to its, joking about these masked villains would wear their masks, dressed up in with fancy suits, dancing like it's MJ's smooth criminal video. The song beautifully transitions from woeful expressions to a dancey emotive number with spirited singing and a very 80s guitar solo.

The affair ends with Killers Are Quiet and the hidden track Dogfish Rising. Nineteen minutes of brutal downtrodden Metal that ventures into bizarre realms of experimental Industrial Noise. Atmosphere is the key word. This song really showcases Slipknot's unique yet deranged spirit. It's that side of the band we hear in its rawest form, yet to become the mainstream Metal juggernaut that would dominate this alternate culture.

For me, MFKR was a peculiar entity. A band I adored had sequestered a mysterious history. Back then, it was difficult to learn about and get your hands on. Now it's very accessible. But that mystique I experienced really let me connect with this album's strange character and appreciate its experimental approach. What Slipknot would become to be is genius in its own right, but so too is this alternative universe record where the band could of headed on a different trajectory. A cult like, underground act.

Rating: 8/10

Scarve "Luminiferous" (2002)

 
Stepping back from the exciting discovery of Irradiant, we unsurprisingly encounter perceived familiarities of the musical journey. Decreased production fidelity, unrefined identity, a vague rawness. These initially hold back the music but it only takes a few spins. With Luminiferous we have another intriguing exploration of the early djent influenced European metal scene. Labeled Technical Death Metal, yet experimental, progressive and showing similarities to the "Future Fusion Metal" label yet to emerge.

A far cry from where the extended guitar range sound has landed today, Scarve explored low end discordance, rhythmic treachery and sporadic shifts of blasting drums with a agitated stride. Exchanging guttural roars and raw heathen singing, a dualistic vocal dynamic emerges. Together they traverse an ever unsettled metallic construct beneath, taking a burley limelight, brooding within the ceaseless chaos.

Toying with trading tensions and dances of dissonance is a tricky game. Somehow, these bumpy rides converge onto peculiar gratifications. The ever violent percussion channels their artistic extremity through its Grindcore akin patterns, shuffling them consistently. Its the guitar leads that provides relief from this unending frenzy. Usually in intriguing arrangements, a melodic resolution ties up these unusual soundscapes.

On the other hand, the rhythm guitars stand out too, deploying dated polyrhythmic power chord chugging reminiscent of old school Meshuggah. On Luminiferious' ever animated journey, the ceaseless nature of its energetic lashings make it hard to determine where one is among the wretched, mangled metallic landscape. That is at least the vibe often similar to Mnemic yet not exploring the bombast they offer.

The record evades a sense of peaks or valleys, just a continual unravel of curiosity one moment to the next. Somehow, despite my many spins, its riffs and motifs haven't embedded a solid identity, one it clearly has. Futile resilient and The Day After stand out for their acoustic leaning soundscapes. As do brash moments of punk influences when the band venture into simpler drum drives and power chord strumming. Between the obvious influences, a tangled web of ideas that entertains. All in all, a great listen!

Rating: 6/10

Gate Master "Gate Master" (2020)

Mightily impressed by In Pursuit Of Forbidden Knowledge's clandestine spell, I had to return to this projects origin four years prior. Sadly, this obscure record doesn't yield much beyond the opening Dungeon Synth track, Tides Of Aeons, a lonesome rumination on esoteric melody, powered by distant drums and a dank airy drone. Its atmospheric spell is intriguing, balancing mysticism with a sense of distant danger. 

Beyond it, the intent feels clear, to use harsh low fidelity aesthetics as its weapon of wonder. The clattering drums and wretched vocals of Sacrificial Summoning come with little musical strength to back it up, simply deploying played out Black Metal tropes. After it, the rest of the music focuses on atmosphere through unsettling noise and dense drone. Obscure fuzzes, obtuse distortions and sizzling static fill out space.

I appreciate the effort but these cheapened sound design choices didn't chime bright. Rather, they become its biggest burden. Exposing a lack of thematic depth to inherently explain these choices. With little to latch onto beyond its strange and soothing opening ambience, I had little investment in continuing to listen.

 

Rating: 3/10

Scarve "Irradiant" (2004)

Browsing the depths of the metal scene, with the blink of an eye this album cover threw me back to my youthful years. Perhaps it once adorned my Nuclear Blast Records magazine? I was exposed to so much great music through that free mail-in mag. Scarve also happen to fit right into the European scene of that era. Perhaps best labeled as the "Future Fusion Metal" genre that never quite took hold, they sound like a soft fusion of early Mnemic and Meshuggah with touches of classic Darkane in their melodic musicality. All these bands I adore, Its no surprise I had little trouble taking a liking to Irradiant, the second album a brief existence that ended a few years later.

Pulling from the power and menace of Metal in its extreme forms, French musicians Scarve stretch apart those frays, extrapolating melody and dissonance through shifts in momentum. Thus its songs explore the ridges of aggression, flirting with rhythmic experimentation and quite often retreating into calmer spells to introduce metallic acoustic guitar melodies or unusual lurches of "the riff". In some instances they go hard, like the Death Metal inspired pummel and pound of a vicious Molten Scars. On the following Fireproven, we unseemingly drift into an Industrial atmospheric break to showcase some lead guitar flair before flashes of color erupt in a magnetic closing riff.

These complexities and technical nature delight but have a simplistic appeal on the surface. The best songs deal with the collapse of aggression they march from the relentless into curious expanses of atmosphere. Asphyxiate plays a highlight, starting off with a meaty Meshuggah chug riff and eventually featuring a solo from the legend Fredrik Thordendal himself. Irradiant is an all round excellent showcase of boundary pushing songwriting, at least for the time. A delightful discovery slipping into my nostalgic sweet spot. Highly recommended for fans of the early "Djent" frontier.

Rating: 7/10

Willow "Petal Rock Black" (2025)

Ill confess, on first impression, Petal Rock Black felt like a series of Avant-Guard Jazz experiments. This dubious outset was reinforced by its short tracks, averaging two minutes each. The recycling of lyrics from Empathogen and even Prince's I Would Die For You also aided this skepticism. Predictably, with each recuring spin, its treasures unearthed themselves as each brief constructs own magic steadily charmed.

All of Petal Rock Black's songs are devoid of traditional song structure. Each stint serves its own purpose, a swaggered union of layered vocal indulgence, steely Jazz piano and raw roomy percussion, all rocking to its own groove. Lacking progressions and pop sensibilities, they at first feel like aimless moments from improvised jam sessions but with familiarity, one grows to love the moments Willow revels within.

Her lyrics and poetic tangents between songs heighten an awareness of conceptuality that probably adds depth but flys this inept listeners ears. In its absence, the flavor and texture of her ever playful vocal swoons play a treat. Creative, adventurous, she expresses through range. From strength and power to whispers and laughs, Willow can pivot into a soar at any moment. The variety gushes forth rapid and effortlessly.

On the instrumental front, I would have mistakenly commented on a cast of classy seasoned professional behind her. Thanks to the artist credits, I've learned this musical montage is mostly her own multi-instrumentalist creation, briefly blessed by a couple of big heavy hitter names, George Clinton and Kamasi Washington.

That first impression is a misnomer but also a hint as to what may condemn the record to some negative reception. It lacks a glue to piece it all together. Despite loving it front to back, Petal Rock Black feels like its missing something. That Avant-Guard embrace turns these unusual songs into isolated islands of musical wonder in need of a throughline. You can't fault any of its numbers, these are all beautiful expressions!

Rating: 7/10

Danny Brown "Stardust" (2025)

Michigan rapper Danny Brown returns with a highly collaborative record, spotting features to smaller artists on all but two tracks. Still committed to his brand of eclectic experimentation, unhinged noise oriented beats drive the record, contrasted by a brief concept of grandiose sentiment that kicks off and sees out this latest chapter.

Despite affirming his apatite as an artist is intact, I didn't connect with the albums core. Disorienting vibes dominate, snappy glitched electronics and stripped back yet hard hitting jilted percussion dominates. Frequently drifting into the House and Dance lane, a few numbers like Lift You Up brings an easy, conventional energy to the fold. For the most part, Danny's nasal toned abrasive flow paired with frantic instrumentals lacked a charm or even aesthetic intrigue.

Book Of Daniel opens the record with moving 70s Rock acoustic guitar and piano, sentimental vibes, a snug fit for fantastic verses expressing his state of mind as success interacts with apatite in our terminally online environment. A deep reflection reiterated upon through another's spoken word on The End. Its a touch juvenile and fatalistic but offers a curious space for thought emerging from age and success. For me, its the records one merit, a fascinating stem so brief in the albums bigger picture, it couldn't save my lack of connection to Stardust, this one just didn't do it for me.

Rating: 4/10

IGORRR "Amen" (2025)

 

A clear contender for album of the year, French mastermind IGORRR returns with Amen, an unflinching committal to a bastardized union of Glitch, Breakbeat, Extreme and Death Metal, Opera and Baroque. An eclectic assemble, unsurprising to those indoctrinated yet intoxicating in its aesthetic excellence. Armed with familiar weapons, its devastating impact arrives through octane clarity reveling in the minute minutia of manic details and an overall sense of adoring care for its instrumentals. A corrupted orchestra of modern metallica, timeless traditionals and devilish electronic madness.

Amen ebbs and flows sublimely, delving into its diverse origins, shifting gears at any lull, unceasing with excitement. Stints of Death Metal roar between heavy, dramatic operas, pivoting into evocative Spanish guitars and menacing breakbeats with a natural authenticity. So to do its bizarre constructs jostle absurd obnoxious groove with graceful, transient esoteric ponderings. Its cultural tapestry has a distinct deserty sun soaked Middle-Eastern flavour. Its overtly pronounced on the piano demolishing Blastbeat Falafel. A joyful collaboration with the legendary Mr. Bungle among others.

One particular delight on this twisted journey is ADHD. A manic work of devotion to intricate sound design. It evokes groove whilst simultaneously subverting it, a rhythmic moving target, also a wild ride of audiophilic exhilaration as we are indulged in its glitched sampling. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Silence leans into Romantic era symphony, piano and opera, eventually melding its ends with surges of world bending, gravity defying percussion. My rather condensed words could elaborate further on this record but then we would be running through the genius' of each song one by one. Just go and experience this scintillating sin for yourself.

Rating: 9/10

Skepta & Fred Again.. "Skepta .. Fred" (2025)

The title along says all it needs too, advertising an enticing collaboration between two big UK artists. Dance/House producer Fred Again.. and veteran Grime MC Skepta, a voice I've not heard in some time. I was hyped but to be frank, this mostly feels like padding for the killer track Victory Lap. Hard hitting and obnoxious, its gritty groove rocks off the bold synth baseline and tight drums. Kicking off with a wild monotone hook, the fast vocals chop and change with Skepta filling in a pair of atypical verses.

 

With a sense of adventure, Fred transitions through the first four tracks. Starting with a dirty Grime beat, steadily blending in his signature vocal snippet tunes and touches of House atmosphere. These are tricksy, intricate instrumentals, layered with intimate textures. By Last 1s Left we are fully submerged into the club vibes, holding onto a mysterious urban darkness. 21 Years sheds that Grime hangover, while his partner in crime leans into the sound harder than ever. Its as if their ideas don't quite align.

For me, Skepta is the weak link here. His confident persona an entertaining one, yet his cutting flow and slang laden rhymes feel predictable and aged, lacking a spark of freshness or urgency. Its acknowledged on the aforementioned track, referencing the unchanged nature of this now classic London rhyme style. Aesthetically, the two have chemistry but the overall mood feel somewhat off bar the powerful Victory Lap.

 

Rating: 4/10 

Backxwash "Only Dust Remains" (2025)

 

Taking a step back from the abrasive edges of Metal, Noise and Industrial, Canadian producer-rapper Backxwash returns carrying that stark Soulful pivot heard on Mukazi at His Happiness's conclusion. This new chapter shows signs of growth as Only Dust Remains' eight songs play tight and concise with a refined approach. Toning down aggression, dialing in human voices, choral, gospel and the like, the reoccurring themes of self doubt, identity, guilt, and life's woes wrapped in demonic metaphors, arrive through a shifting lens. Signs of maturity and evolution in perspective manifest through both Her lyrical and instrumental expressions.

Touches of reflection upon these dominant artist defining themes crop up among an arsenal of personal exorcisms. Wake Up plays a focal point, as cries to "wake up" from internalized suffering seem offset by lyrics delving into current affairs of war and politics, as she turns her attention to the pains of external matters. So to does the following Undesirable echo this shift as shouts of "grow the fuck up" cry out over its mellowed instrumental, a voice and string duet adorned by underlying piano chords.

Each song carry's a character best felt by enduring its duration as expressions manifest through the journey, as apposed to simply rocking a wild beat to latch onto. As such, personal preferences will illuminate these nurtured instrumentals. For me, the Dave Gilmore akin unending airy guitar solo of Stairway To Heaven and Dissociation's dreamy build up of uplifting energies were a keen highlight.

So to does its concluding title track turn a similar leaf to Mukazi. The album ends on a gorgeous note, a soothing instrumental encapsulating soulful warmth with a touch of beautiful melancholy. Its chorus hook a blissful one that seems a far cry from this artists roots. Only Dust Remains is a solid record, the brilliant union of expression driven by an artist handling both lyrics and production shines strong. It does however feel like a stepping stone between the past and future if this evolution continues on the next record, which I now eagerly anticipate even if it may be a few years away.

Rating: 8/10

Clipping "Dead Channel Sky" (2025)

  

 Leaning hard into their distinct jilted abrasion, experimental Hip Hip trio Clipping return armed with an arsenal of rapid fire razor sharp rhymes, accompanied by cyberpunk dystopian disjointed beats. Its a despairing, paranoid journey, showcasing the unrivaled talents of Daveed Diggs, who blasts vivid lyricism through an effortless cold, monotonous delivery. Poetic and descriptive, he arms this unsettling soundscape of buzzing computer electronics with moments of clarity, cutting through the rumpus and adding a dispirited human element to the already dejected temperament.

 Lyrical themes resonate with defeatism, reflecting current social-political concerns. Early on, dexterous rhymes charm through ambiguous, artistic, storytelling motifs. In its second half, clearer concepts are depicted with plainer language. The emergence of AI, growing wealth inequality, the harms of social media, disinformation and internet related corrosive forces. Its in the latter half that these clearer expressions, the conceptual nature of Dead Channel Sky, takes form for this lukewarm listener.

Mediocrity stems from its dredging, drawn out nature, tediously slow burning through cyber-industrial soundscapes. Short interludes and key songs play drowned in an endless string of aesthetic ideas which only reward when converging upon groove and rhythm. This mostly happens at the heels of 90s House rhythmic energy and signature waveform leads from the era's blossoming electronic scene. In these moments, much is borrowed from the past. The dystopian aesthetic a thin veneer atop what works.

Entertained by a couple of spins, the search for depth has alluded me in becoming numb to its admittedly impressive arrangements of dial-up inspired internet glitch-synth. So to did Diggs' rhymes flourish food for thought initially. That persuasion has swiftly evaporating in this artistic vision mostly devoid of the simple pleasures required to bridge the avant-garde. Dead Channel Sky lacks the curation to drive home its vision, instead flooding us with an indulgent revel, not quite to this fans taste.

Rating: 5/10

Childish Gambino "Bando Stone And The New World" (2024)

What a glorious return for Donald Glover! Bando Stone plays a treat, a wild ride through a tapestry of sonic sound. Seemingly defying labels and convention whilst being pallet-able and poppy. Its refreshing, delivering unique fusions of aesthetic and composition from start to end. This feels like a passion project, birthed from free form jam sessions, capturing the snippets of magic and fleshing them out into exotic songs.

Opening with glitches, aggression and zany vocal manipulations, a bold tone is set yet swiftly we pivot into a heartbreak ballad, gracefully fusing the odd coupling of Soul and 90s Alternative Rock. Survive toys with Dream Pop vibes, Steps Beach croons into an acoustic lullaby, then we swivel again into a dark crunking Trap beat. Unsurprisingly energies shift once more with a lively The Prodigy interpolation of Breathe. A classic!

 

 This tone switching rarely relents, keeping listeners on their tones. Its a refreshing experience, full of unusual surprises and great songwriting. Layers of voicings natural and manipulated seem to be the recurring theme, lots of joyous harmonies permeate many a song on the record. Another through line are these brief interludes painting a picture of modern man stranded in the wild. Without the tools and skills to survive, the dialogs become rather comical, birthing amusing moments between the varied music.

The New World is a hard one to summarize with words. Put simply, it needs to be experienced. The music ventures into so many avenues, siring up striking aesthetics with charm. Donald's apt lyricism delights too, littered with social commentaries and cunning observations he delivers food for thought on rap verses and entertains with creative, expressive singing, frequently shifting into the higher registers, something I don't usually tolerate well. Here I adored the exchanges with his many guests.

 

Rating: 7/10

Godflesh "Purge" (2023)

 

Six years on from the remarkable inspirations of Post-Self, the Industrial duo return lacking a refresh in creativity. Purge echos their early 90s output. Harsh bounce oriented drum samples loop incessant. With a thud, thump and hammer, simple kick snare patterns drone in repetition. Over top, burly shouts ripple into the void and dissonant guitars toy with distressing chords wedged between chunks of dense meaty groove. Its forty four minutes explore these ideas rigidly, with little to break the norm.

This gives Purge a keen sense of self. A moody, downtrodden, alienated and grim tone to wallow within. Highly repetitious, barely shifting tempo or switching gears, each song grinds out its point. The later tracks delve into atmosphere with expansive reverb casting shadowy spells and offering respite from its aggressive counterparts. Its a subtle diversity yet never leaves this deeply troubled musical space.

Army Of Non raises an eyebrow for its inclusion of a classic Hip Hop sample "Check it out yall". Its nestled quietly in there, a throwback to Pure and Let The Rhythm Hit Em. Broadrick's affinity for Hip Hop never quite manifesting into something radical, remaining a warm peculiarity for fans like myself. This moment gave a glimmer of what might follow but as laid out its a consistently dark and dismal record retreading old ideas competently but leaving one with an appetite for revived freshness.

Rating: 6/10

Backxwash "His Happiness Shall Come First Even Though We Are Suffering" (2022)

Traversing deeper into painful themes that have defined Backxwash's raw, hopeless expressions, this newest installment of darkness suffers familiarity. Scarcely making ground on I Lie Here Buried With My Rings And My Dresses, an unhinged rattle of caustic demonic beats accompany now accustomed flows. They run formulaic as the Canadian rapper settles on her flat tone and biting cadence for another round lyrically battling her demons. Its plays as a war siren of distress, simmering in a difficult intersection of ignorance and bigotry. Select samples of pastors preaching illuminate these struggles aptly, focusing the records somewhat conceptual scope to a degree.

 His Happiness Shall Come First Even Though We Are Suffering sums itself up well. A tale of religiosity preaching division and judgement. Although not a sole focus, it fits a discomforting darkness felt through its rough instrumental abrasion, a continual unease suited to the evils parading as morals highlighted. When on point, a potent chemistry. Yet a lack of subtle bombast, groove or sensible musical appeals bounds it tightly to a thorny bed of pain. Weaving layers of disorienting noise, soft distortions and broody bass, gospel samples and estranged companions stir a wild atmosphere. These instruments peak curiosity but lack command of simple pleasures to sway one.

Almost brilliant yet a spark is missing, or just all too familiar. An issue becoming stark in Backxwash's cadences, especially later in the record, Juju a prime example. The hard rhyme inflection and pacing of words becomes repetitive and stale, adding to a sense of stagnating style. The albums ambient feeling one retreading horrors expressed before with an interchangeable nature. One distinction apparent this outing were a select few songs hiding uplifting or beautiful instruments within its mix, burying them a dense darkness, occasionally surfacing them for false relief.

Rating: 7/10

Clipping "CLBBNG" (2022)

Still one to keep an eye on, even remixes of Clipping classics set for the club scene were a curiosity. The 90s sounds of Dance, House, Acid and even a soft sniff Big Beat make sturdy foundations for modern aesthetics. Producer Jonathan Snipes has made great of the source material. I would not of guessed the finessed story raps of Daveed Diggs could suit this mold. Kicking off with Nothing Is Safe, the soft synth tunes and shuffling percussion vibes well with his raps. Its second of four, Drop Low, follows along as an instrumental alternative take of the first track.

Things get interesting on Get Mine, kicking off the unforgettable alarm clock, its obnoxious grate is cut up and rearranged with groove alongside the percussion and Acid synth leads. Its counterweight of chopped up effeminate vocals go back and forth, finding interesting overlaps and a reference to Cypress Hill along the way. It would of been nice to hear more raps in the project. The final track samples the "drop that game on them" insistently, as dirty baselines rumble and pivot with bright piano chords and cheery child choir singing among an arsenal of animated sound effects.

As volume one of hopefully more, hearing this style meld with Digg's raps would be a treat. This installment offers just a glimpse of that, the rest of the material lays more on the shoulders of Snipes's own creativity. He is class at what he does but that middle ground could be better explored. There is clearly an interesting chemistry.

Rating: 4/10

Arca "Kick III" (2021)

 

In picking out a peculiar sounding project featured on a top list, I've fumbled into territory truly beyond what makes music tick for me. On first listen I though this might be the most abominable record I've heard in some time. Having stuck with it, I've now grown somewhat matured comments to share on the radical harsh venture this project is. I have no context in which to address this wildly experimental music in relation to the three other chapters of Kick released in daily succession towards the end of 2021.

If this is Arca, AKA Alejandra Rodríguez's normal style, then she is certainly an artist with a distinct voice and vision. One of confrontation, dissonance and discomfort where an emerge of groove or melody from within the dystopian abrasion has alluded me. Two songs have grown on me. Their textural ambiguity and sonic assaults offering a novelty of sorts. The rest of the record sadly dulls with each listen as much of the disorienting tapestry tires in its rebellious circumvention of musical norms.

With harsh electronics, the worlds of Glitch and Noise converge on the back of unconventional, seemingly disjointed and random percussion. Its thudding bass kicks jolt off beat and zaps, buzzes and fuzz replace the rolls of snare and cymbals. Those two rattle without structure. Its more tuneful sounds seem hell bent on subverting melody, each song inducts a random assortment of sounds without direction. After a spin or two many aesthetics becomes very obviously vocalized. There is a plethora of manipulation and plugin work at play here that I could sadly not appreciate.

Once noticed, every kick and and assumed noise has a hint of vocal timbre. Alejandra mostly delivers her Venezuelan lyrics through this manipulation too. If every interesting or musing, its often buried in a dread of brutal dystopian madness. The opening Bruja & Incendio deliver some brash and swift native wordings that become quite enjoyable in their foreign nature. As a strength in the record, its use is minimal.

Beyond its reasonable opening, the record devolves into its own unusual nature, where I could find little beyond the occasional instrumental texture sparking curiosity. There was really nothing for me to resonate with. The critical acclaim makes me feel as if people are appraising the bizarre oddity it is, which is all fair game but I am personally looking for the ground where the oddities abridge an emotional connection with the listener which alluded me entirely. Maybe the continuous dreamy vocalizations on Intimate Flesh came close but that would be all.

Rating: 2/10

Kero Kero Bonito "Time 'N' Place" (2018)

 Going forth with a bold stylistic shift, Kero Kero Bonito introduce a rather gristly over driven guitar tone into the mix! Not only do they dial back the childish quirk and charm established prior, the keys too recoil from punchy unabashed aesthetics. Time 'N' Place has the trio trying on new shoes. When sticking to their guns, they find a glossy, serine temperament stepping into classic Pop vibes with a modern edge. On the other front, hints of Grunge, Indie Pop and Shoegazing push them towards the uncanny valley as creative ideas clash with a touch of imposter syndrome lurking nearby.

Alongside the strives into guitar driven territory, the group take failing inspiration from the abrasive scenes of Glitch and Noise music. Three tracks in and Only Acting grates away with intentional CD skips leading into a ear aching assault of sharp fuzz on the listening. It seems so pointless, a barrage of disorientation that doesn't resolve to anything of interest. Fortunately these grating oddities are few and far between.

It doesn't look good among a series of misses. Opening with Outside, the Shoegazing kicks off on an odd note, not quite gelling with the sparkling synths found glittering around its chord progressions. From their most the songs land on odd footings, just not landing a charm as they low through a string of simple themes and old timely vibes. Late in the track listing, Sometimes is another stride beyond means. Aiming for a youthful, folksy pub sing along, the brash acoustic guitar strumming clashes with unrehearsed singing. The VGM 8bit synth jam that takes place alongside sours too.

Most the songs are inoffensive but oddly mediocre in the shadow of their other works. It makes for a dull, lukewarm listen that often drags. Bit of a shame considering how interesting I've found this group up to this point. In fact what comes after with Civilization II is remarkable, a major difference from whats to be heard here. Time 'N' Space feels like the new ideas they brought to the mix didn't have the chemistry.

Rating: 4/10

Zeal And Ardor "Zeal And Ardor" (2022)

 

If Metal has stagnated in recent years, then Zeal & Ardor would be at the forefront of bands exploring new avenues for the genre. This self titled sophomore effort rides the wave of their profound chemistry, an unlikely marriage of anti-christian Black Metal theatrics and the historical struggles of an African American experience housed within its dark relationship with slavery. Clearly mastering both the inspirations and aesthetics Manuel Gagneux has carved for his band, this latest forty four minute effort feels strongly leveraged on a new idea. Frequenting the record are sharp, hard hitting, precise breakdown riffs that levy its personality with thrusts of mean anger as angular guitars jolt fast and choppy riffs, executed with a cold mechanical precision.

The gamble pays off wonderfully as a rather atypical metallic approach exchanges with bluesy Blackgaze and folksy Gospel music with a grim grounding. Its brutal rhythmic force and precision timings play up the fun of obnoxious Metal yet never truly escape the weighty emotions of the burdensome soulful experiences that precede them. If anything they seem to give them a sense of conclusion as a lot of slower paced and gloomy atmospheres are given a fist of fury to punch the listener with.

Its what initially grabbed my attention and with subsequent listens the music between began to open up. A lot of similar ideas and compositions are heard again as on Stranger Fruit and Devil Is Fine. Usually the most interesting chemistries emerge when the light straddles the heavy and the two exchange. Early on in the record I also felt as if I were hearing far more electronic vst experiments. Springy unsettled sounds chiming in on breakdowns and big riffs. Götterdämmerung strikes me as the albums best track, a brilliant exchange of devilish melody, chuggy guitars and chain gang blues. This self titled record is a fine execution of their now established sound but its left me with one of those "time will tell" feelings as to the impression it may leave.

Rating: 8/10

Koreless "Agor" (2021)

 

Now at the mercy of Spotify's algorithms, I find myself immersed in the unknown, the platform feeding me new names one after another from its playlist system. I have to be picky with where to go. On occasion, one artist will captivate my intrigue more so than the others. Because of the songs Black Rainbow and White Picket Fence, I had to go deeper into this curious musician who's take on electronic music was off the beat and track from what I am used to. Glitched out and mysterious, its popular songs morph closer to normal conventions. Getting deeper into Agor reveals a few typical fundamentals have been torn up and thrown out.

These buzzy saw wave symphonies simmer and fizzle in both texture and tone. Metamorphic and fluid, its oscillations sway and groove in ever changing directions. Somewhere in the mix, something holds center, either the variety of plucked instruments or bursts of rhythm and tempo that come and go. Even then, notes curiously slide up and down in pitch. Percussion is illusive, often forming out of burgeoning instrumentation, feeling occasionally poly-rhythmic as its shuffling glitches and choped up vocal samples make for mirages and illusions.

The result is unique, an identity unlike much I've heard before it. Yesterdays Oneohtrix Point Never has a similar experimental quality but Koreless homes in on something particular, with varying success to my taste. Again it is convention that aids aesthetic into form as many of these songs go on ciphered tangents. Melody rubs shoulders with frequency and sequence. Rhythm seems to had no steady footing and the Nordic singing sampled is rearranged in the most curious manor. The take away is similar, another curious experiment in sound design with a few moments of convention one can fall into, otherwise attention is jilted by all the quirks of its inspiration.

Rating: 6/10

Oneohtrix Point Never "Magic Oneohtrix Point Never" (2020)

 

Having played a hand in the production of Dawn FM, this curious hexagonal album cover lured me in for a listen. The one collaboration with The Weeknd himself serves as a bridge between the Synthwave stylings of that project and the artsy avant-guard electronic experimentation that adorns this record. Labelled as "Plunderphonics", the history of that musical term would suggest much of the strange distortions heard through the album are possibly sampled from well known songs. More likely it is in reference to the well known voices that frequently crop up in these esoteric sampling manipulations. It seems likely its many radio voices sampled mostly on the cross talk tracks may have been lent to Dawn FM's own thematic interludes.

Magic Oneohtrix Point Never is mostly a curious exercise in the depths of production techniques and studio manipulation. With heavy utility of effect plugins, the dynamics of sound are explored to illicit many emotional ambiguities. Like a quilt blowing in the whim of winds, its soundscapes morph and mold through the invisible hand of its all-seeing producer, an organic unraveling bleeding through many dimensions of waveform. Such is the nature of experimental design, that its meandering directions can drift on without direction, as it does in the second half of this record.

The first is where one can find some structured percussion and recurring melodies to fit into a more traditional mold. It gives the experimental and unusual synth sounds a context and format that is much more digestible and entertaining. Its aesthetics are given meaning through decent song writing. Its only a handful of songs though. Without that, every curious noise, esoteric texture and unidentifiable instrument ends up being a passing interest that after a handful of spins becomes dull. I can see how this record has been praised for the many remarkable sounds conjured but mostly lacking a form, it doesn't amount to much when aimlessly morphing through is bizarre soundscapes. A great listen but remains in the experimental lane that doesn't quite connect without normal conventions.

Rating: 5/10