The post-humanist love affair between the grittiest of machine music and the organicism and interconnectedness of nature is an old one. Techno enthusiasts can just as easily revel in the quieter, mysterious allure of the natural world. Michael Claus of Silva Electronics returns with two eerie techno tracks to delight and frighten us, padded by an intriguing psychedelic remix of “Dark Forest” from Lara Sarkissian and a thrilling, bass-heavy remix of “Paranoia” courtesy of Force Placement.
Find yourself venturing into the dark forest of someone else’s Eden. Feel the goosebumps appear one by one as the ominous dong of an approaching monster approaches. Lurking beneath necromancer fungi, it finds its way creeping closer and closer to an otherwise beautiful and safe clearing. The relentless pounding bass sets the blood pumping from start to finish. Amid the intensity, the Lara Sarkissian’s remix offers a reassuring anchor in the form of a psychedelic-rock comedown reminiscent of Talk Talk’s heyday. Soon after, “Paranoia” and its other half, reinterpreted by Force Placement, thrill us with two synthetic jams to make the inner primal roar— an overwhelm of the senses makes it hard to discern whether you will emerge frightened, overstimulated and delighted, or all three. It’s like a Hans Christian Anderson fairytale twisted even further under Bladerunner conditions.
