Datacide 19 Record Reviews by Nemeton

Minion: Night Lyfe [Evar Records RAVE4EVAR003]

Evar Records run by Aura T-09 and John Frusciante/Trickfinger in Los Angeles collaborate with another influential L.A. musician – Minion – to finally bring these four tracks on this hot pink colored vinyl 12” to a wider international audience. Minion has played these tracks at underground parties in L.A. including at Darkmatter Soundsystem, thus the EP is aptly titled “Night Lyfe”. Best experienced on a massive soundsystem at a throbbing warehouse party, Minion’s signature sound is instantly recognizable in these dancefloor tracks combining hardcore kick drums with piercing snares and emotional, uplifting synth line melodies. This is a must-have record of Minion’s newest tracks since his 2007 vinyl release “Bored in the U.S.A. EP” (DM12001) and several other tracks on Darkmatter Soundsystem digital compilations from 2015 and 2019.

Pansophia: Thee Path Within [Thac0 Records THAC0AC10]

Pittsburgh stalwart label Thac0, run by 8Cylinder, with its exciting roster of artists such as Xanopticon, Somatic Responses, Disheveled, and Spednar, consistently supports and makes available on vinyl some of the best music coming out from American (and European) producers. Pansophia is another manifestation of Dimentia’s creative musical and occult presence. This 10” is an epic twenty minute track titled “The Path Within” spread over sides A and B. Recorded over several years between 2019 and 2022, Pansophia explores esoteric ideas and the possibilities of manifestation communicated musically through a melding of advanced electronic production on various synths including the Virus Ti2 and skilled evocation of traditional musical instruments such as the Harmonium, Guzheng, and the Hulusi. This beautifully crafted sonic journey twists and turns through dark descents and illuminating exaltations creating a profound offering of shared experience. Get this record when it comes out in later 2023 or early 2024! 

Maria W Horn & Mats Erlandsson: Celestial Shores [B.A.A.D.M. 016]

These original compositions by Maria W Horn & Mats Erlandsson were commissioned to score the second half of Andy Warhol’s “Nico/Nico Crying” film, which the musicians performed live accompanying the film in September 2021 at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels. It would be quite interesting to watch the film accompanied by this soundtrack, as it would clearly add another dimension to the experience. 

The version of the compositions presented on this record released in September 2023 capture the live performances of the artists together in the same sound studio room, which were recorded in January 2022 in manner and method close to those employed by recording artists in the 1960s. Side A “Towards the Diamond Abyss / The Navigators” is a thoughtful, slowly evolving composition featuring drawn out synth lines, atmospheric noises, harmonious bell chimes, and the deep chord resonances of the zither. Side B “A Ship Lost in the Polar Sea” situates the listener much more obviously in the 1960s with its ethereal soundscapes, yet at the same time communicates a contemporary sensibility. 

Katran: Décomposition [YB70 19]

YB70 has consistently put out dark, hard hitting music since 2001, so it is particularly exciting to get the new releases including Elektroplasma’s “Oblique” CD from 2022 and this vinyl 12” from September 2023 by Katran. Every track is a dancefloor stomper. Katran aka Darko Kolar, who is also co-producer of Ontal, delivers two pushing industrial techno tracks (A1 and B1) heavy with metallic, crunching sounds and pounding beats. 

A2 is remixed by Codex Empire, and B2 is an absolutely banging, churning, throbbing remix by Imminent.  

Kindohm Prompt 3 [3OP]

Mike Hodnick aka Kindohm is one of the most compelling musicians from the U.S. who is breaking sonic boundaries and expectations with his futurist compositions. This new release from July 2023 is produced as a 2 GB USB flash drive containing the album itself along with exclusive outtakes, live performances, alternate artwork files, the musician’s Prompt 3 workspace folder of .tidal and .flp files., as well as with a matte paper digital print of the album cover art housed in an anti-static bag. 

Produced in an edition of 25, it is already sold out. Definitely check out his other recent releases: Kindohm & Jesse Whitney: Three Degrees (Æther Sound aes018 cassette) and Kindohm: Merge Experience Degrees (Æther Sound aes024 7”).  

Otto Von Schirach & Qebrus: Ottobrus [Serendip Lab 10]

Released in March 2021 as a 12” vinyl and digital files, this is an intense psychedelic glitch trip of five tracks. Qebrus put out a bunch of digital releases over the years, and has an ardent following. Qebrus sadly passed away in 2018. This record is the last collaboration between the two artists, and was finished by Otto Von Schirach. Datacide readers are familiar with Otto Von Schirach’s music especially his early releases from the 2000s such as “8000 B.C.” and “Global Speaker Fisting” on Schematic. “Ottobrus” is a perfect melding of the artists’ production styles and musical sensibilities from the glitchy mayhem of “Enter the sacred triangle” (A1) to the metallic alien soundscapes of “Earth & Egnamis” (B2). 

Anodyne: Decayed [Acroplane Recordings 44]

The red 12” vinyl release from 2021 features two tracks from Anodyne’s “Decay” release from 2020 (ACPRO 42): “We Are All We Have” (A1), a beautifully textured melodic journey, and the breakbeat banger “Lockdown 3.2X” (A2). Autechre’s remix of “We Are All We Have” (B1) reimagines the feel of the original track into a contemplative meandering soundscape composition. The Somatic Responses remix of “Lockdown 3.2X” (B2) is a big highlight of the release with its gritty acid lines and mutating breaks – a dancefloor banger for all parties. The digital release on bandcamp features 3 additional remixes by Primary Node, Lackluster, and S>>D.

Nemeton

• Other articles by Nemeton on datacide-magazine.com
• Darkmatter Soundsystem website

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