Diacritical Mark - Nutrients

 

Released: January 31

There’s no sound quite like the distinct sound of granular synthesis to really pique my interest. So when I began listening to this latest release from Diacritical Mark, I was more or less hooked at the start. The dark and gritty quality of everything is so well done as errant rhythms pick up and drop off without warning as the highly processed sounds lure you into a weird and dark world. Really, there’s no story being told here or narrative being rolled out. Instead, it is just an intense dive into deep layers of abstraction that stack upon on another with somewhat menacing titles attached including “Kindness is a Weakness” and “Meaning in the Aftermath,” both of which seems to have vaguely apocalyptic connotations. 

The aforementioned “Kindness is a Weakness” stood out to me because it’s probably the closest to an ambient track this album has to offer. But even with its ambient leanings, the processing of these sounds still feels disorienting as the pad-like sounds clip, glitch, cut, chop, and then linger in uncomfortable places. A rather odd piece in the middle of a number of percussive grains that gnaw slowly in their soundscapes. With gnawing in mind, there is a track previous to this, “No Grit, No Pearl,” that embodies this sensation well. It feels as though it shifts rapidly and randomly from a slow grinding to the rapidity of a gas-powered lawn mower trying to digest gravel. It honestly stands out as one of my favorite tracks. 

Nutrients seems to be one of those albums that demands your full attention during listening as it refuses to sit in the background. Except for the moments where it fades directly into the background only to return to the forefront again at unspecified times. I absolutely enjoyed the textural randomness, especially as the vaguest hits of its techno source sounds pop through even so occasionally with a surprise bass hit on a random unmistakeable snare.