Published by Alessandro Violante on January 5, 2019
Noise and melody. Tension and distension. A constant dialogue which, once again, convinces whoever listens to End.user music.
Its last resurface, that’s the name of this last effort released once again by German HANDS label three years after the release of the album Enter to exit, is a relatively short and concise episode in the kaleidoscopic career of the American breakcore/IDM musician. He has released music on different media, with different labels, exploring different facets of its favourite styles.
End.user here keeps on exploring the most introspective and melancholic side of his music, while sounding powerful and energetic. Beautiful melodic ideas are merged with syncopated and sometimes frenzy rhythms, at times distorted, at times not.
There’s a progression from songs having slower tempos, an alternation of rhythmic explosions and gentle synth sounds toward songs having a faster tempo, more broken beat-driven moments and a powerful distortions. The journey starts with the Titletrack, which flies like a butterfly and stings like a bee with its noise injections, followed by the gentle drum’n’bass of A familiar face and by Rotation, a frenzy collaboration with 2Methyl, the author of Layer 8, a work released some years ago by the defunct label Ad Noiseam.
Red line is the most straight to the point episode of the album, with its broken beat, fierce distortion and hard rhythm. A perfect song for the dancefloor, which will find its place into its live-sets. The closure of the EP, Cracked mirror, featuring Trash.eater, a new breakcore project, perfectly synthesizes the sound of this release.
This mixture of noise and melody, softer (few) and harder sounds, sound very well in these well crafted songs. Resurface should be listened at home at high volume. Once again, the end user will be satisfied.
Rating: 8
Label: HANDS