These Hidden Hands - These Moments Dismantled EP

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  • It's been two and half years since Tommy Four Seven released the debut single by These Hidden Hands, his collaboration with studio engineer Alain Paul, and the duo's eponymous full-length. Their music wasn't entirely out of the ordinary at the time—remixes from the likes of Vatican Shadow, Kangding Ray and SHXCXCHCXSH skewed slightly too close to home—but stood apart nonetheless for its impeccable sound design and loose techno structures. Fast forward to 2016 and those qualities are hardly uncommon. So the introduction of vocals on These Hidden Hands' new single, "These Moments Dismantled," goes a long way. Barcelona singer and experimental artist Lucrecia Dalt keeps a hushed tone here, but her presence elevates These Hidden Hands beyond the role of dark dance floor provocateurs. These Moments Dismantled features two versions of the title track, with B-side "Variant" proving itself to be the evil twin. That one's gnarled mechanics and relentless, concussive kicks nearly consume Dalt's whispered pseudo-melodies, a brutalist approach These Hidden Hands temper with angelic harmony and dashes of tuneful low-end. "These Moments Dismantled" is no less ruthless with its production, but the details are more pronounced, the peaks and valleys more dynamic. Dalt is given ample space to let each delicate syllable waft and dissolve in the air, like Beth Gibbons at her most damaged. In fact, both sides evoke Portishead's "Machine Gun," as if remixed by The Haxan Cloak and Vessel—which, to be clear, is a huge compliment. If the next These Hidden Hands LP works with vocals and industrial as extraordinarily as These Moments Dismantled, something unforgettable is on its way.
  • Tracklist
      A These Moments Dismantled feat. Lucrecia Dalt B Variant feat. Lucrecia Dalt
RA