- Face-melting, rollercoaster ride club chaos.
- Mutations is a fitting name for an EP that shapeshifts through the genre spectrum, moving from junglist euphoria to broken techno and beyond. The first installment of a two-part EP series for Dekmantel UFO, Mutations I: Death, Taxes & Hanger is Aquarian's first solo, club-focused release in years, following his cinematic 2020 album The Snake That Eats Itself. Aquarian's approach to Mutations is both creative and stylish, as structures subvert expectations without wandering too far from the jacking zone. It's a sonic smorgasbord of modern club styles, from leftfield oddities to peak-time jungle.
Aquarian's production style is tightly controlled yet absolutely wild. The first half is rapturous and brimming with trance-influenced elation. The opening title track is the standout, its glistening pads elevating the breakbeat madness. But rather than slowing down with an ambient breakdown mid-way through the track, Aquarian ramps things up significantly with full-tilt breaks that leave nothing on the table. That sets the stage for the hyper-emotive "Rene Likes The Steak," with an arpeggiated synth that soothes the nerves.
He brings us down from the celestial heights of the first half by sneaking in some electro with the squelchy, satisfying "Sam Handwich," before the EP's grand finale. "Dead Whale" embodies the EP's title, morphing over the course of its nine minutes into all kinds of new forms. Gritty distortion, pads, and an acid underbelly create a maximalist IDM feel, and the tension never lets up—there's no break here, just an ongoing build. "Dead Whale," like the rest of the EP, succeeds by coloring outside the lines, by stretching the limits and genre and bending expectations. But despite the complexity, Mutations is still about movement, catharsis and making feet blister on the dance floor.
Tracklist01. Death, Taxes & Hanger
02. Rene Likes The Steak
03. Sam Handwich
04. Dead Whale