- There are familiar ideas in J'Kerian Morgan's music, but they're rarely left undamaged. Rather than working within existing genres, Morgan takes templates and smashes them against the wall, letting the resulting splatter form a sort of musical Rorschach pattern. As Lotic, he shares a penchant for destruction with his fellow residents from Janus, a roving Berlin party that emphasizes weirdness and otherness. Initially known for his love of R&B and pop, Lotic's music took a darker turn around the time Janus's monthly event ended, resulting in the tortured 27-minute collage Damsel In Distress. Morgan described the free release as a "cry for help" and a "clean slate," and his debut for Tri Angle follows in its footsteps.
Heterocetera is a confrontational EP. Opener "Suspension" is laced with antagonistic tones, as if in listening to it you've triggered an intruder alarm. The title track turns the infamous Masters At Work "ha!" (a ballroom staple) into a cloud that hovers over hissing gaskets and turning gears, while the rat-at-at attack of "Phlegm" is just as erratic. "Slay" and "Underneath," both of which bring to mind fellow Tri Angle newbie Rabit in their use of blank space and reverb, offer a zero-gravity respite, though they're still crunchy and foreboding.
"As a DJ, I want people to dance, but I also want them to be a little bit unsure of what's going on most of the time," Morgan told RA in a recent feature. Judging from Heterocetera, that goes for his productions, too. Over its 20 minutes, the EP pushes dance music through violent twists and turns until it becomes disorienting and startling.
Tracklist01 Suspension
02. Heterocetera
03. Slay
04. Phlegm
05. Underneath