- Vladimir Ivkovic's Offen Music label first introduced us to the work of Mitar Subotić in 2015 via In The Moon Cage, a collection of archival recordings made by the Serbian producer under the name Rex Ilusivii. Another release, Koncert SNP 1983, a recording of a gig at Novi Sad, followed a year later. These records were mostly tied together by the producer's affinity for whacked-out, supernatural electronics, sparse rhythmic patterns and plaintive vocals delivered in his native language. The latest reissue of the late artist's work focuses on another project, Suba. Where the two previous releases on Offen Music captured Subotić's '80s output, the recordings on Wayang are from 1995, by which time he'd moved to São Paulo. Wayang has traces of his work as Rex Ilusivii—the entrancing, wistful vocal on "Wayang 04"; the expansive, otherworldly melodies of "Wayang 07"—but it also lets us in on another, more maximalist side of his output where percussion takes centre stage.
In parts, you can hear the impact of Subotić's relocation to Brazil on Wayang. Where drums were relatively minimal across Offen Music's previous Subotić retrospectives, various layers of Brazilian percussion run through much of Wayang. Some tracks ("Wayang 02," "Wayang 06") recall the laid-back fog of trip-hop, shot through with chugging psychedelia and the hypnotic, loop-driven drums of late-era Muslimgauze. "Wayang 01" paces along around pitch-shifted, unintelligible chanting and glistening electronics, coming to a head via hollering vocal samples. "Wayang 11" looks elsewhere for inspiration. Its shaman-esque refrain and rainforest sounds eventually give way to an unfussy drum machine pattern that, despite its almost naive simplicity, offers the record's most patent nod to techno.
With no gaps between tracks, Wayang plays through as one collective piece. "Wayang 03"'s quick-fire hand drums, phone samples and bizarre vocals fizzle out seamlessly into the beatless "Wayang 04," which seems to look back to Subotić's work as Rex Ilusivii and stands as one of the record's most mournful moments. "Wayang 06" and "Wayang 07" are tied together by serene orchestral strings and a brief wave of birdsong. The latter, a kind of centrepiece to the album, is coloured by lavish violins and an imperious female vocal that echoes Vangelis' Blade Runner soundtrack piece "Tales Of The Future." It's yet another arresting moment in a record filled with grand gestures.
Tracklist01. Wayang 01
02. Wayang 02
03. Wayang 03
04. Wayang 04
05. Wayang 05
06. Wayang 06
07. Wayang 07
08. Wayang 08
09. Wayang 09
10. Wayang 10
11. Wayang 11