- Most of the music from Livity Sound is spartan to some degree, but Asusu takes the approach further. His latest tracks, "Hallucinator" and "Sendak," are imposing dance floor weapons, though each seems vulnerable, like ice sculptures with hairline cracks. The harmonic synths of "Hallucinator" begin with a high-frequency drone, which is joined by complementary tones and a simple melody. The instruments—including the drums, a set of tuned toms and a hissing snare—are remarkably light, but when bunched together, the impact is anything but, building from a single element to a knotted crescendo.
"Sendak" is made of even sterner stuff. Asusu revisits the solitary drone on "Hallucinator" and whisks it into a rumbling rhythm. Then there's the waspish lead, which is not so much an invitation to dance as a coercion—coiling around the drums in muscular bursts, it's a studio-engineered sleeper hold. There's a daring simplicity about "Sendak," but, supported by harmonic pillars and tonal accents, its architecture is as much about strength as subtlety. The fine details of his ambient-led Impasse records encouraged close listening, and that same level of care makes Hallucinator / Sendak dazzle.
TracklistA Hallucinator
B Sendak