- One of New York's brightest talents closed out 2019 with an LP that evokes the touching side of rave.
- In DeForrest Brown, Jr.'s recent article for FACT, AceMo's longtime collaborator and friend, MoMa Ready, explained the logic behind the busy release schedule of his peers. "More of my peer group is releasing music to be added to the canon of black techno and dance music. I feel that all of us want to see more positive changes for POC in dance music globally. What better to do that than by making the music that starts new conversations?"
In 2019, AceMo, real name Adrian Mojica, released five records that helped define the current sound of New York. While such a busy schedule can prove detrimental to less careful producers, Mojica's records have expanded the possibilities of his excellent output. When a AceMo record drops, there's a sense of anticipation about what new direction he's taking. In 2019 the Brooklyn-based producer experimented with jungle, house and electro, followed by compelling pivots towards acid and rave. His latest jaunt brings the best elements of last year's productions into a spectral, rave-ready album called Existential.
This is a rave album, but it's not going to leave your ears ringing. It's smooth and elegantly paced, thrusting you between trance melodies and whopping basslines. Fluttering arpeggios that recall Caterina Barbieri's euphoric synth experiments open tracks like "Track 2 Recording 11," and return in the decaying, submerged synths of "Rave Angel." The album's zenith floats at the midpoint of "Life Takes You," where a squelchy bassline ascends into a high-frequency synth that could cut through flimsy headphones.
The closing seconds of "Message To The Future (Waterfalls)" offer some repose, drifting with a languid interlude that's so sparse it's startling. Then there are gliding tracks like "Man From Water Pt. 2," "Existential" and "Love Dimensions," which, like Drexciya, sound distant and muted, as though you're hearing everything underwater. As Mojica moves on from the beloved house sound he perked ears with at the beginning of 2019, he's showing a clear ability to switch between genres. While some sections of Existential sock you like a punch, there are moments that evoke euphoria and the innocent daze of a perfect rave. At his best, Mojica captures the peaks and troughs of those nights.
Tracklist01. Existential
02. Life Pulls You
03. Man From Water Pt. 2
04. Life Takes You
05. Message To The Future (Waterfalls)
06. Rave Angel
07. Love Dimensions
08. Track 2 Recording 11