Vįr+üål Åįrßñß - ▚ ▛ ▜ ▟ ▞
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Vįr+üål Åįrßñß
EP
Ambient
Liam Murphy
December 16, 2021
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twofold has proven themselves a purveyor of music that walks a line between jagged industrial din and infectious club bangers. With the incredible EAT DIS collective releasing reputation-certifying LOST MECHA TOOLS last year, each twofold release is guaranteed to be an explosion of excitement and power. The artist channels three forces: resistance, community and collaboration, into XFORM trax. Any follower of the artist will know that these three things come naturally to them and to the circles they associate with, which makes it a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience.
Much of XFORM trax plays out like a twisted beep test through the gnarled, narrow and sharp streets of an industrial landscape. In fact, the listener is thrown straight into the maelstrom on opener Vibe Check Ha. Sporadic soundbites are pierced with metallic incisions and brisk mechanical movements. Ducking and diving through video game-esque razors and traps, an intricate layering of voices can be heard. From the comedically mundane and meme-y to the empowered and energised, the artist’s timing of these samples is immaculate. twofold holds this chaotic sound together where many other artists would only manage a few moments before having to bring the intensity down.
Both XFORM mecha tool and Fuzzy hxc taiko tool (feat. Tank Jr) showcase a knack for layering as well, though in a different way. The latter, for instance, brings dark, crunchy impacts down near the listener as if they are watching some half-mechanised-half-organic monster loom over a shrouded dancefloor. The incendiary magic happens towards the end, as sounds begin to pile on each other like great metal forms being smashed together. Intricate processes can still be heard, but only through metallic showers of gargantuan size.
XFORM trax is not without its more tapered, thoughtful moments. This can be evidenced in the beauty of penultimate track Invuln. Spell. Watery synths bleat modestly and, though flanked by booming drums and fiery percussion, the melody is touching and allows an atmosphere of calm and understanding to settle. This aura is shaken to the point of splitting apart as large syrup-y bass lands with a tremendous force. As the aqueous sounds repeatedly make their way back up to the top of the mix, it should be appreciated that twofold has found something beautiful and tranquil amid unrelenting noise.
twofold is a master of the industrialised dancefloor. Cataclysmic sounds are made fun. Though it often has a cold feel, when thinking of those three primary areas of interest, maybe there is something else revealing itself in the noise. Far from soulless machinery, maybe the unrelenting undulations twofold presents are the powerful, radiant explosions of collaboration, community and a ruthless resistance.
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