Morpheus Music
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
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Posted : May 23, 2009 12:52:43
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STYLE
Chilled dub, glitch-hop and thumping grime instrumentals. Heyoka continues driving his unique sound further from the beaten path in pursuit of his evolving craft. This album of dynamic, squelching, creaking downtempo has a very powerful character and a compulsive beat. The rhythmic material lumbers and plods with such determination that it defies anyone not to be drawn into rocking, nodding, foot-tapping or dancing. A dizzying array of extra-percussive blips, taps, scratches, tonal motes and arpeggiated phrases add density to the already dominant grooves - always shifting, always something new, almost more than the listener can keep up with. The musical content is primarily acidic - bass squirts, chord stabs, groaning tonal sweeps and manic zaps - however among this gutsy fabric are some delicate piano melodies, hints of more hummable tunes and snatches of almost familiar themes. There are some inventive vocal effects - plastic yays and yiys that buzz with a throaty reverberation that matches the programmed sounds in intensity and some distant, plaintive sax playing courtesy of Tormenta Galactica.
MOOD
The mood of Gate Code is one of brooding, almost tribal intensity with a strikingly contemporary aesthetic - the muscular beats and basslines prowling along with confident poise, the frenetic musical motifs and constant sonic flickering mesmerising the ear as the artwork does the eye. There is something of a psychedelic, techno feel going on in much of the music - proudly synthetic, revelling in a lush artificiality.
ARTWORK
Gate Code comes as a jewel case presentation riddled with snake-like pipe designs curling and twisting across every surface. These twining forms dominate the design both outside and within. Only the rear cover relents and provides some space for text - here is a tracklist, website and Myspace addresses and relevant logos. The impression is as intense as the music - busy, mystifying to the eye.
OVERALL
Heyoka returns with his latest downtempo release following the slightly heavier Whomp Gland Pineal Dub album and Whomp Gland EP. Once again releasing via the increasingly well-known Muti Music label, Gate Code builds on the foundation of previous material most effectively. Heyoka is not afraid to blaze his own trail and here takes the wise step of doing what he does best more fully - the result is a strikingly personal sound within a well-worked and popular genre. Mutimusic explains that the CD was "Mostly composed while on a trip to Uruguay in Jan 2009 ... dubbed out sets of tracks that show homage to oldschool dub while playing with modern glitch effects and instrumental hip hop."
WHO WILL LIKE THIS ALBUM
This is not an album you can easily ignore - fans of Mutimusic will be delighted. Dub lovers will appreciate that this is something new - zappy, energetic downtempo that demands the attention. If you are a sucker for powerful low bpm beats this is one for you.
  MORPHEUS MUSIC
www.morpheusmusic.co.uk
ELECTRONIC MUSIC MALL
http://www.electronicmusicmall.com |
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