SPIRITFLESH - UNKNOWN SIGNALS

Released: April 24

UNKNOWN SIGNALS sits in a sort of liminal space between synthwave and noise with a rather pronounced slide from the latter into the former. It opens in a sort of synthwave meets Unsolved Mysteries  vibe on “AUDI QUATTRO” which heavy sub basses and a a lively but sort of ominous fashion. Deep pads and snappy percussion make this one feel very driven while staying well within mid-tempo range. But as the album progresses, there’s this shift from these driven synthwave vibes into territory even more ominous. The next few tracks including “MOVEMENT” and “SHOT IN THE DARK” largely keep this vibe going until we get to “MIDNIGHT CLUB.” At this moment, the first tangible inklings of noise creep in with heavily bitcrushed melodies and slightly harsher drums, still keeping a chill vibe for the most part. 

The following track sees all that chill evaporate instantly. We’re suddenly hit with a wave of harsh scathing noise, breaking that synthwave vibe in favor of aural assault. But as the track progresses, those analog synths return with an eerie and lonely sounding tone. It’s a jarring juxtaposition, but I found it to be  an enjoyable if not surprising shift. The next track gives us more of this, this time with a bit more focus on the synth over the noise. But the album’s closing track bearing the same name as the album is a wonderful synthesis of these two vibes, coming across with a very modular feel. A looping arpeggiated tone leads all of the movement here, taking us on something that feels multi-dimensional as it shifts through high and low tones gradually. It’s a nice finish to an album that excels at setting a vibe only to completely 180 on the listener.