- Prior to its untimely demise, the mnml ssg blog posted a mix by Morphosis (AKA Rabih Beaini) that expertly investigated the lines between experimental electronics and corrosive techno. The inclusion of Metasplice's "Bohrium Slunk" late in the mix raised a fair bit of comment box chatter, and no wonder—sounding like Keith Fullerton Whitman making sludgy, halting house, it bridged the gaps especially well. As it happens, Beaini had also grabbed the track for his Morphine label as part of the Philadelphia duo's first vinyl outing, Topographical Interference.
While many of the recent noise artists playing with techno take advantage of their naiveté—excitingly reckless and gritty because its creators don't know or care about "the rules"—one gets the sense that, gnarled as these tracks are, Metasplice know exactly what they're doing. On opener "Thermite Jack," for example, stray, piercing tones cluster around a heavily overdriven beat encrusted in white noise. The steady congealment of these jittery tones into an actual groove suggests a keen precision many of their peers lack. While the flip is more primal, it backs this idea up. "Buoyant Slight" builds on a shifty, overdriven pummel, but its synths are similarly knifelike, splintering into miniature melodies as the drums rage below. And "Laminate Resonan" makes for an oddly entrancing conclusion, underlaid by a strangulated screech echoing off into the distance. It may be Metasplice's first foray into DJ-friendly formats, but the tracks on Topographical Interference will make for a startling turn in any mix.
Tracklist A1 Thermite Jack
A2 Bohrium Slunk
B1 Buoyant Slight
B2 Laminate Resonan