KR!Z INFERNO

Kr!z steps up for his sixth label contribution with four chilling cuts, pushing his sound into bolder territory than ever. 'Inferno' could mean many things, but at first listen it could be interpreted as a homage to the unforgiving nature of the club experience. Stripped down to the bare essentials, these tracks showcase the efficiency of simple ideas spoken with authority.

'Inferno', as an EP and its A1, focuses on the brutality of weight in minimal elements. The spaces between the crunched lead are filled only with the continuity of a whipping drum machine. Sucked in and spit out, Kr!z delivers a whirlpool of sonic motion for the ultra focused stretch of a long set. Intrigue remains constant as tension is maintained, and the track's elements are truly pulled together by wailing synth keys that distort heavily off the stereo field. As the centerpiece of the EP, 'Inferno' uses the brutality of this sound design to guide hysteria into each section as well as bouncing off the texture of the lead, complete with brisk percussion switches. 'Gridlock' follows in its predecessor's footsteps, but not without its own point to make. Vintage in its construction yet cutting edge in resolution, Kr!z builds up and breaks down drums over a single chord-like synth that grinds through the record like heavy machinery. The pure distortion of this chord destroys any hope for harmonics in its wake, an intentional decision by Kr!z to dirty up his sound design and saturate his output for a result that drives the dancefloor into dissonant hysteria. The swing between each hit and the silence between the sections are an increasingly harder pull into his urgent narrative as 'Gridlock' spirals along into the B side ofthe record. 'Level Zero' is painted in the same color as the others, but provides a familiarity that highlights Token's influence as a record label since 2007. A detuned, resonant synth sequence plucks its way along 'Level Zero' for true mechanical dissociation. Here and there, Kr!z sprinkles in some tonal variations to hold attention while insisting on the brutality of his initial loop. Sweeping his filter and shaking the rides, we arrive at the final part of the record 'The Great Forgetting'. The tonal switch of this song is a good indicator that it's the closing, making things lighter with a clean pad and playful drums. The genre almost feels like a hybrid; Kr!z steps away from the chaos and into a controlled euphoria that winds down 'Inferno' on a high note while keeping control of his dancefloor.[info sheet from distr.]