vortex

I haven't been listening to new music for a while, though that's slowly turning again. The new Entity release is partly responsible for that. It took a while, but ntt50 was most definitely worth the wait. ntt050 is one of their sparse compilation albums, featuring all new tracks by an impressive range of artists. Vortex, as the compilation was named, focuses on structured sounds and insane rhythms.

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Vortex leaves the soundscapes and ambient atmosphere mostly behind itself and makes room for more structured and rhythmic sounds. With names like Hecq, Atomhead, Binray and Xanopticon featured on the album you should have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Apart from several big names there are some promising new entries too, hopefully hinting at what Entity might bring us in the months to come.

Hecq starts off the compilation with a more ambient-like track. None of that ethereal ambient stuff though, listening to Continuum and other ambient-related tracks on this albums feels more like walking through an ultramodern industrial plant, with bleeps, glitches and thumps layered over soft waves and faraway melodies. The PlanetZoo people take this concept one step further, resulting in a lovely journey through a mechanized world that lasts over 9 minutes.

Driving this concept to its limit are La Peste and Bogdan Dullsky, who both deliver heavily layered tracks, built on chaotic structures with loud, industrial sounds, but keeping it still within the ambient boundaries. From there on, the tracks slowly build to more glitchy and rhythmic realms. The ambient influence is still very much apparent in the CCP entry, but the glitches and chaotic rhythms are much more on the front of the track, making it a less that chill experience to listen to.

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Atomhead's Rift, Sytriv and Subscan further explore the realms or glitchy rhythms and complex sounds, creating tracks that don't pound away but glitch by on a stream of endless samples and structures. Very cool music this, if you allow yourself to get lost in it. From there on structure mostly takes over. Both remaining Atomhead tracks might start of pretty chill, but know how to put on a daunting climax. Ishizzo introduces drilling basses (though not very loud ones) but shining here is newcomer Barbarix, combining beautiful waves with complex, pleasant rhythms and glitchy undertones. It might be one of the most accessible tracks on this compilation, it's also one of the best.

Sedarka and Binray crank up the pace even further, driving the insanity to a near climax. Banging bases, broken rhythms and loud samples combine themselves into one chaotic and powerful whole. Which leaves only Xanopticon to top this, and believe me, he delivers. A little less chaotic than his other tracks maybe, a tad more repetitive, but when the waves start floating, the basses start banging and the rhythms start trashing the track to shreds I can only be happy that artists like these exist. The final two minutes remind me of the Capacitd climax (from the Liminal Space album), adding layer upon layer of insane sounds. It's difficult to say how many times I've listened to the track in the last two weeks, but definitely one of the best tracks in years.

Entity has done it again. Excellent compilation album giving a selection of prime talents exploring the boundaries of rhythms and structures. There are no bad tracks on this albums, all artists excel and it's almost criminal to give out music like this for free. No doubt worth the download if you're into this kind of thing.

You can download the album for free on the Entity site, so don't hold back.