Rhombus Index - Kernel Phase

 

Released: December 16

Building off the previous releases on See Blue Audio, Yorkshire-based artist Rhombus Index uses his latest release to explore the concept of reinterpretation through five all new tracks and a slew of remixes. For the first half of the album, we are provided with these new tracks that all seem to have a unifying motif in his skillful use of arpeggiations. Each track utlizes this in a different way, from the opening track "Set Null" with its slow but near constant build-up to the personal favorite of mine "Float Robot" with its 90's RPG inspired groove. I found the latter track to be especially compelling for me since I spent so much of my youth on these games and it conveys the mood of open exploration of the main map to a perfect degree. 

For the second half of the album, multiple other artists from the See Blue Audio roster make their appearance to provide remixes of some of Rhombus Index's other tracks from previous albums. But when I say multiple, I mean that it appears as though the entire roster showed up to do at least one track. Sulk Rooms provides a uniquely rhythmic downtempo interpretation of "Axiom" and f5point6 brings not one but two remixes of "Leptosol" featuring heavy use of some glitchy percussive textures. I highly recommend listening all the way through the album if for no other reason than to hear the fantastic contributions of the talented roster of artists.