Brainchops :: The Braindance Blog

H.P. Sneakstep
The Swarm
[Karakasa Music :: 2010]
Free Download

9.5/10

Just this morning, Dr. H.P. Sneakstep released "The Swarm" - a 6-track concept E.P. complete with track-by-track cover art and a music video.



Here is a brief transmission from the Dr.'s institution:

"Today in class, Dr. Sneakstep is taking his students onto an audio and visual journey, depicting his personal history with insects and the world they occupy. This particular adventure took place over the course of 2000-2009, during his periodic infested sabbaticals to the jungle."

I downloaded it immediately and have been listening to it on repeat all day.  Shit's massive!  Dark, disorienting and steppy.  It opens up with what sounds like faint crickets and clusters of winged insects swooshing past you, only you can't see them because it's pitch black and you're standing in the heart of a dense jungle.  The track is erratic, bassy, kind of creepy, and infested with bug-like ticks, pops, and clicks.  The tone is set and continues with track 2, another heavy piece with a dark ambiance.  Track 3 "Blotto" is one of my favorites with it's bigstep bassline, a steady snare and screechy glitches.  At this point I feel a sort of FSOL "Dead Cities" vs. Two Lone Swordsmen "Tiny Reminders" vibe but darker, more modern, more dancey, and peppered with Autechre-like sound cultivations. The second half of these sonic explorations get pretty mental with track 4, suspenseful with track 5,  and wrap up with a 7m 18s final track injected with chiptune-ish sounds and an upbeat tempo that makes me visualize a never-ending army of ants marching in unison toward an enemy camp.  I'm amazed at how 6 different tracks reportedly made at different times using different sound sets can maintain such thematic cohesion.  Don't miss out - grab "The Swarm" asap and listen to it LOUD.

H.P. Sneakstep - The Swarm
[Karakasa Music :: 2010]
6 tracks



FREE DOWNLOAD + STREAM


"Dark Locust" (track 1) Music Video



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