Xander Harris kindly sent us a track from his (Brian Keene referencing) new album Urban Gothic. The pragmatically named Opening Credits doesn’t dally for long with the tough bubbling synths before dropping a huge 4/4 drum sequence over the top.  The drum sequence doesn’t get its own way for long before Chris Carter sends over an ethereal drone line to drape its sticky crystalline beauty over the whole affair. While the aforementioned ethereal drones work their magic the slightest hint of Codek’s Tim Toum’s influence in the left channel. Which is a good place to be.

…and like that, it was done.

Xander Harris – Opening Credits

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image by the late Frank Frazetta via Sci-Fi-O-Rama

Akhluts, the new project from one ex-Teen Sheikh and one DJ Murlo, is a strange beast. Opening on a bed of post-prog arpegiated synths and analogue drones their first track Wintermount slowly reveals itself. Channeling the love of the epic that seems to have fully infiltrated UK Bass music this year: from Skream’s gloriously overwrought Listenin’ to the Records on my Wall to Hyetal’s ’12″ of the year’ contender Pheonix – the first flourish of drums seem to contain the track within the bounds of Goblin inspired soundtrack-ery until, after a minute and a half this agile beast unleashes a two-step rhythm that leaves preconceptions about horror-soundtrack revivalism rather…redundant. Those two step rhythms drag us forward now, to Wendy Carlos’s Tron – vast lines of light enmeshing the fantastic landscapes sketched out by the analogue drones. Onwards to the epic chiptunes of Martin Galway, the ambition and imagination of 8-bit game-worlds now bent to serve the dubbed out crescendos constructed here. To the conclusion: a solitary drum, a cold black synth, the repeat button.

Wintermount is a demo so be kind. We dearly hope this will be out soon.

Akhluts – Wintermount