Department of Electrophilosophy - Blooming Buzzing Confusion

 Released: January 27

Bringing us their first album of the year, the California-based duo that comprises the Department of Electrophilosophy engages in a much noisier and raw approach to composition on Blooming Buzzing Confusion. For much of the album, there is little in the way of melody or harmony, with the most notable exception being “Causa Sui.” This track in particular brings borderline frenetic pace with heavy beats and a positively booming low end on the percussion. The high speed rolling drums slow down gradually on the track until they altogether disappear and give the surrounding strangeness room to breath as glitchy synthetic warbles and warps take over. 

“Preestablished Disharmony” gives a similar introduction with percussion that is far more muted and muddy, feeling as though it is attempting to slog its way through tar as more of those weird warbles define the track in a hurried but open-ended manner. For that really slamming percussion, you can go straight over to “Hammer of the Gods” as a relentless bass hit pounds everything around it into submission, save for a little bitcrushed flourish that persists around the heaviness of the bass. 

This album leans heavily on discomfort and madcap percussion. You’ll find rarely a soft spot on the album. And even if you manage to, don’t expect it to last long as deep and distorted rolls, waves and hits punctuate any softer moments. It’s quite a ride for sure, even if it is a bit short at just five tracks. But the pacing is so varied and wonderful that it carries the album far beyond its roughly 30 minute runtime.