- Thingamajicks' Subsubtropics label is a treasure trove of lo-fi house, techno and experimental music. Most of it comes from from the RBMA graduate's hometown of São Paulo or from other Brazilian artists around the globe. The Los Angeles resident Jesse Pimenta, AKA Dreams, is from the latter camp. Pimenta's recent EP for FunkinEven's Apron Records dropped grungy beats into a smear of deep pads. This dark and mellow blend was great for blissing out in the wee hours. Edgy and threatening with a post-punk bite, Vision Zero is on a totally different vibe.
Grating high-pitched sounds make for a hostile opener that serves as a warning: this EP isn't going to be pleasant. It's techno without mercy, where a few ghoulish moans escape through the weaponised drums. "Stop" is a loaded post-punk-meets-volcanic-acid track that spits out its vocal with barbed force. Innsyter's version is even more disturbing. Voices also loom in the back of "Eyes That Burn," which ups the vintage feel with a dusting of sci-fi blips and bloops. "Meditation II" treats the record's vocal signature with a seething industrial lick. This mean streak serves Pimenta well.
TracklistA1 Vision Zero
A2 Stop
B1 Eyes That Burn
B2 Meditation II
B3 Stop (Innsyter Treta-Treatment Remix)