the empire line present six cyclonic episodes for confined spaces on their debut album, rave. comprised of posh isolation s christian stadgaard (damien dubrovnik, vanity productions), jonas ronnberg (varg), and with isak hansen (iron sight) on tantrums, the trio s marauding live shows have been translated into a slippery set of pummelling techno works, watermarked with florid noise. rave is a celebration of contemporary rave culture, focused on the everlasting and transcendent as the night slips out past the day. with living-for-the-weekend hedonism irretrievably converted into a manicured, violent cliche, building new worlds and forging new modes of intimacy takes an exceptional sincerity. naming some of the crews closest to the empire line in the album s titles, their spaces are examples of just how rave culture persists as a transgressive stronghold in people s lives. ranging from k-hole anthems to jacking, close-range sessions, rave still bears the traces of the group s experimental background, ensuring the tension is kept up through the catharsis.
