The Binary series has been a mixed bag; the concept of a digital-only series allowing more rapid dissemination of music with less risk is certainly a solid idea for a label of Critical’s size, but (perhaps inevitably) the results have been a little inconsistent. To our mind, the series has been at it’s best when pushing the envelope with more experimental sounds, and that’s exactly where their latest EP from Vromm comes in.
There’s a fair amount of variation to be found in the four tracks on show. Nomad and Motor Hell provide Samurai/Cylon-esque slices of moody halftime which plenty of interesting sonic textures, but the other two tracks are where Vromm really excels himself. Zombie features some fantastically intricate percussion and a really nice second half progression, while star opening track Lake Monsters is a masterclass in sound design, with terrifying effect.
It’s great to see Kasra’s label providing a platform for an emerging artist with a fairly avantgarde sound; we hope to hear more of this kind of thing via Binary in the future, assuming it lasts longer than previous series Modulations. Check out the clips below and hit up the Critical Store to grab a copy now.
