OPM: Sci-Fi! at the Disco

Solid-State Sunlight – ExoAnthro

A post industrial cyberpunk concept album about existence within a Blade Runneresque world. Distorted synths, distorted guitars and distorted/treated vocals are the core ingredients. Those materials are fused together based on a classic EBM/industrial blueprint that has been stripped down to its essence and reformulated in a newer, leaner shape. 

A host of other influences – prog, New Wave, electro, pop and several strains of metal – are occasionally audible as well, but the black, beating heart of this was forged in the spooky fires of goth industrial classics. You don’t have to listen in the dark, but it wouldn’t hurt.  

(Listened to the entire album)

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Stefan Bohacek – “Get Down”

Disco-kissed deep house with an old-school vocal sample-driven breakdown. It’s a little bit funky with a nice groove and a great energy. Filtered chords, funky bass, a nice chunky beat and plenty of echo fuel the summery, sensual vibe. 

The treated and chopped vocal sample breakdown recalls classic house tracks where that was a common tactic and it lends a bit of old-school energy to what’s otherwise a thoroughly modern production. A lovely track that would go down perfect at an outdoor summer party as the sun sets.

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Eve Defy – Eve 05

Twisted experimental breakbeats with one foot in IDM and one foot in the avant garde. Somewhere, a third foot has been discarded near a dancefloor, but neither of these tracks belongs anywhere near most DJs. That’s not a knock on it, just a clarification of purpose. 

Blown out drum sounds, distortion, weirdly atonal screeches and the occasional blast of noise make up the majority of the menu, but it’s all packaged together in intentional and meaningful ways. If you like the extremes of recorded sound and weird rhythmic experiences, this one is for you.

(Listened to the entire EP)

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Kosmikos – Sylvan Sequences

Deep and placid electronic musical journeys that carve a path between ambient and the quieter side of kosmische. According to the liner notes, each of these tracks is built on the same modular synth, and there’s a definite sonic aesthetic at play as a result. The synth timbres are muted, soft and fuzzy; so is the percussion when it appears. 

A few sharper timbres pop up here and there, but even those are “sharp” mostly by comparison to the soft edges elsewhere. The sum effect is a gently propulsive strain of ambient that would have been right at home in classic chillout rooms.

(Listened to the entire album)

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snwv – Flower Moon Train

Mesmerizing longform improv drone-ambient pieces performed on guitar and a lot of FX. The liner notes describe the guitar as “microtonal” but honestly, these tracks lack chord progressions, melodies or even much traditional playing, so it’s not really obvious. 

This is a journey, or journeys, thru nearly pure tone and sonic space, unencumbered by traditional notions of harmony, rhythm, performance or form. They’re also quite sonically pleasant and relaxing, with lots of gently rising waves of warm timbre, so you can enjoy and appreciate them on multiple levels. 

(Listened to the entire album)

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