- From the title, to the animated video, to the pillbox at the center of the 7-inch, the latest release from Sculpture is packed with ideas of sense-altering drugs. As if catering to that experience, Zyprazol finds the experimental audio-visual team of Dan Hayhurst and Reuben Sutherland working with some of their most elaborate music and images to date. Even if you don't enjoy the spastic electronica of "Zyprazol," or aren't wowed by the insane amount of detail in its accompanying zoetropic art, the technique and craftsmanship put into it all demands a certain level of respect.
Following the "adventurous electronic pop" of 2014's Membrane Pop, these two tracks sound edgier and more unhinged. Blasts of elastic percussion glitch and slice in "Zyprazol," as a warm bassline bounces politely below the chaos. A tape loop of heavenly tones moves unsteadily in the background, clouding Hayhurst's otherwise sharp and muscular production. It's a dizzying, sometimes discomforting barrage to take all at once; to its credit, "Side Effect" goes down easier. That B-side takes an approach similar to its counterpart's, running a single loop of drums underneath bright live electronics, but it results in something more discernible, melodic and engaging. When Sculpture hit this sweet spot, their concept, process and performance can be appreciated as one impressive whole.
TracklistA Zyprazol
B Side Effect