There is a new Somatic Responses EP on Aneurysm Recordings - it's about time to look back at the very "Hardcore" past of the Healy brothers, and their new 12" on this special Italian label.
Track #1: Somatic Hardbeats
by all I know, this was the very first life sign by the Somatic Responses. Released on the infamous capitol noize compilation, alongside such acts like Spiral Tribe, Alec Empire or Marc Acardipane.
There was nothing like this, anywhere in the world, when it was released. Cold Future-Core, technical, cerebral, and harder than the rest of the competition.
#2. Electrical Fault
Did you know this was supposed to be released on Fischkopf Records? But there was a change of management, and Paul & Jan took this release, and also the 2nd Christoph de Babalon EP (which became one half of the "we declare war" split 12") and released it on their label instead.
Whoever did bassdrums that hard back then, or even now?
A track to get killed for!
#3. Sound of Disturbance
already elements of departure here. no longer pure cybernetic noise, but a very dream like acid melody is included. a track that makes you feel like major tom was high on DMT (instead of smack).
#4. Axon
you know this one from the biomechanik compilation, right?
words fail me to describe it. this is not some gabber-shit, this is highly complicated "math-core". truly smart, truly brilliant
i will see you at Axxon N.
#5. Cyclotron
one of the hardest and most noisy tracks in any genre, ever. no wonder it was released on the "terror troops" ep.
this samples the part in videodrome where dr. oblivion tells max that he is going to slip from reality into a life of total hallucination.
and, yes, this track will verily have the same effect on you. all hail the new flesh!
#6. Drome
somatic responses truly began to change their sound here.
like a wild bastard of electro, but much harder, the sounds evoke labyrinthine and non-Euclidean images before the mental eye (well, to me, at least!).
#7. Freezing Point
released on the legendary "passages" ep, on ufo recordings. and this could really be the soundtrack to an ufo sighting, landing, or abduction. driven by an arpeggio that sounds like it contains physically impossible tone intervals, the drums hammer the message straight in your brain. only to fade out into sounds that make you feel as if the ghost of captain nemo is circumnavigating the globe in a haunted nautilus.
a true "rite of passages" in sound and mind!
#8. Umbrella
The opening synths of Umbrella… I never heard something like this before. It changed my outlook at music forever. I know another artist who also listened to this track described the sound by Somatics as “feeling as if you walk through a dystopic world of burned out industrial building and cyborg wars”. Couldn’t agree more.
#9. Wherever
of all the tracks of the "classic" era somatic responses releases, this is a favorite to many.
no longer "techno" or "gabber" or anything, more like a surreal cinematic soundtrack underscored by drums and distortion.
well done, SR!
#10. Metalert
be alert, because this track has one of the best and most interesting melodies in electronic music (how did they manage to compose this?).
and a rusty, screeching breakbeat tears down the rest of the architecture.
#11. Oldrosv
yes, that's part of somatic responses sound, too - serene, selenic, dreamy ambient + electro / "idm" beats.
calm and soothing, no attack by the troops of terror this time!
this little overview essentially captured the early, hard, noisy releases by the somatic responses. the material they released in the decades that followed was not less interesting, but too vast for the scope of this feature. we will take a look at this one-of-a-kind music at another point in the future.
the new release on aneurysm is partly a return to this experimental "hardcore heritage", but also contains many new elements, designs, methods (of mutulation! [sic] ) .
and, yes, in my opinion the sound is even more vicious!
Release info:
Somatic Responses
Abred Hanesydool E.P.
Aneurysm 05
Listening suggestion: Old Evil (Part1) 04:06
Pre-order + Pre-views:
https://aneurysmrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/somatic-responses-abred-hanesyddol-e-p
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