Rapid Fire Reviews: Never Done Catching Up

Okay I promise this is the last rapid fire review of the week before we jump into some actual new records. The last trio of tracks I wanted to cover are a bit difficult to categorize so they're ending up here in a slightly electronic slightly ambient haze of experimental music that I had to make sure I covered sooner rather than later. 

Skitzofrenia Simulation - Sewerslvt

Sewerslvt is an experimental electronica project that I only just heard of last year on the back of the very solid Draining Love Story which overcame its title to be quite an enjoyable experience. I was hoping that this record would achieve the same jump in quality from what you'd expect out of the title, but quite a bit has happened for the Sewerslvt brand in the past year, some of which can be very hard to collectivize. After old posts were dug up making insensitive jokes Sewerslvt apologized before seemingly leaving social media entirely, with communication via Bandcamp emails becoming the primary mode of communication when it came time to announce this project. So going into the record it is hard to know what to expect and that isn't helped by a quite abstract introductory track which does make use of vocal samples but in a way so muddled and interlaced that it's clear we aren't meant to be hearing what they're saying anyway. From this point on the record actually channels what I was expecting coming off of the last project, a combination of jittery drum and bass style electronica with more experimental abstract electronic passages often making use of obscured vocal samples. The songs are way more rave than dancefloor and I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a point on the record where the stuttering rapid fire drums started to feel a bit routine. The synths and bass hits on the other hand can be quite exciting throughout as Sewerslvt really does find ways to make these songs distinct in the details. From the shimmering crashes of sound on a track like Restlessness that feel almost blissful to most of the records clearly darker, murkier tracks it has an emotional range that's beyond the scope of many records with this sonic approach. A complaint I have about this record that definitely carries over from the last one are the song lengths. Sticking in the middle of the record you have a track like Car Accident which kicks off with warbled spoken word but sets the tone for a 6 minute dark, pounding electronic motif. The track makes excellent use of its runtime and yet sits right next to the fellow 6 minute Purple Hearts In Her Eyes a much more standard rave track that wears out its welcome not even halfway through its runtime with very little in the way of meaningful development from that point on. With the record lasting nearly 70 minutes I can pick out numerous tracks that I wish were slimmed down. Ultimately the sound of the synths and bass on this record keep it fresh though its tracklist even though I think some slimming could have definitely been done to these individual songs. The record is far from a lifeless collection of high octane rave cuts and in its more significant explorations it finds unique elements that I've continued to return to repeatedly. 7/10

Logue - KMRU

KMRU is a Kenyan ambient music and field recording project that I came across in 2020 for the first time on the back of the Peel project. KMRU has been releasing a quite prolific stream of material over the past few years and I surely won't be able to cover everything, but Louge seemed like the most fleshed out and fully realized project the record has put out this year and it seemed like as good a time as any to dip my toes into critique of the work. The sound of this record is dodging genre labels right out of the gate with the opening track being a synthetic piece of synthetic electronica that threw me all the way back to the Howes record from a few years ago. This is immediately followed up by a far more naturalistic vision on the beautiful Jinja Encounters which features field recordings and a string arrangement. However on the back side of this song the bliss is interrupted by some very metallic percussion and sequenced beats proving that the record is willing to blur genre lines at every turn. This is followed by the records two longest statements, both over 6 minutes. I far prefer the latter A Meditation On Listening with its tangible build up to one of the records loudest moments followed by a transition back into the sweeter more blissful side of the albums sound. The back half of the record is similarly chameleonic though the tracks begin to have a much more singular focus to them thematically. This makes the listening experience a bit more predictable but when the concept is working on songs like 11 it's nonetheless very enjoyable. While this record isn't re-inventing anything, and its erratic nature could be interpreted as a flaw just as much as a feature, I liked quite a bit of the record and I see a ton of potential in it. While I may not touch on every single thing the KMRU project releases I do plan of keeping my eyes and ears on their work because I anticipate the potential to make something very good in the future. 6.5/10 

Miirror - Babii

Babii is a vocalist and electronic music artist who is part of the Gloo label and band alongside Iglooghost and Kai Whiston. I was first made aware of her through Gloo and a pair of earlier Iglooghost collaborations and I was excited to see what she could deliver as a solo artist after enjoying her contributions. While I'm not sure who exactly handled production duties on all of these songs as credits have been hard to come by, it certainly erupts with a loud vivid sound that is reminiscent of the early days of the Iglooghost project, though he is only technically listed as a feature on one song. Unlike some of the most recent Gloo releases Miiror is a much truer form of electro pop, while it still has its jagged edges and experimental sound play the songs here are very comparable to the PC Music space and modern hyperpop meta. That being said I think I do prefer when the record is at its most brash and experimental, because I'm not sure Babii has crafted her persona and performance style as a pop vocalist yet. She is often quite reserved on these songs even when the stakes are raised compositionally and it makes her sound more like a random vocalist on an EDM remix than the primary artist crafting these songs, which can work well on individual songs but across the entire album has me questioning who Babii is and what her sound actually is. Thankfully when this record steps outside the box it can make some insanely catchy and futuristic bangers that remind me of exactly why I've come to enjoy the music from the Gloo label so much over the past few years. Tracks like the vibrant and zany WASTE of the genuinely hit ready SHADOW are major highlights and show off what Babii is really capable of at her best. Despite its inconsistent tracklist I liked Miiror and I think I'll be even more inclined to pay attention to whatever solo work Babii delivers going forward. 6.5/10