OPPONENTS “Psychosexual Spiritual” c38 (Out Of Body Records, 2013)
Opponents blends together gnarly, fucked up EBM, tranced out industrial jams through an all analog electronic signal path. The tape starts out with a hypnotic, rhythmic track supplemented with decayed beats, monotone chanting vocals. and synthesizer stabs. As the tape moves on , it progresses and subtly shifts yet, it’s more of the same dark, stabby , industrial synth bangers. The beats and vocals work in a wonderful, syncopated harmony together creating a grey wailing of synth chatter and decayed delayed heavy beats. Washed out walls of psychedelia ebb and flow in the background as the hard hitting decayed drum machine and rattling synthesizers carry the movements forward, and down into the ground of psychosis. The metronome of hell is locked in as OPPONENTS blast through a number of focused yet “experimental” industrial / EBM style harsh rhythmic tracks. This cassette has the perfect mix of primitive industrial styling and modern audio trickery creating a bleak and unique mix of harsh, yet detailed compositions. There is a definite tension within the release itself – at times it seems to want to escape itself and blast out into a full on harsh noise assault and other times falling back to early SPK area “primitive” EBM / industrial and furthermore into dark ambient sound scapes. Opponents uses an all analog signal path to generate some truly dismal, murky, yet on point electronic/industrial compositions. The rhythmic tracks stand out a bit more overall to me personally, but none of OPPONENTS music, even the stripped down ambient sections seems styled or contrived “filler”, but rather starkly intentional and dynamic, a hard mix to find in this particular genre these days where projects do “industrial” for industrial’s sake. none of that here folks. this is RAWWWW.
A great tape , HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Will be looking for anything else I can find from this project.
D E C A Y C A S T Magazine 