Club Furies

Krater Music presents its next release. The Mexico-based record label focused on electronic music and mind loops, whose boss is Lewis 33, presents MARTYRXXS. The goal of this artistic project is the creation of expanded poetic experiences and rituals that make the audience dance, that question the world we live in while being part of a magical act. The poetic resources are by author Joanna Rubio, while the sonic atmospheres focus on a genre the author has called «Spoken Word Techno-Witchcraft».

Contacto is the debut of spoken techno group MARTYRXXS, a fearless exploration into the darkest and most disturbing recesses of sound. «With palpable influences from Throbbing Gristle and Diamanda Galás, this first album stands as a forceful piece within experimental electronic music, defying the conventions of the genre and taking the listener on an uncomfortable, yet deeply fascinating sonic journey.» If techno has historically been characterized by the lack of vocals, something that makes it eminently dancefloor oriented, and with exponential artistic properties, poetry itself introduces another gradient of complexity and nuclear artistic exponential.

«From the first track, the album makes it clear that this is not a conventional musical experience. Abrasive sonic textures and distorted soundscapes create an oppressive atmosphere reminiscent of Genesis P. Orridge’s most haunting moments.» At the same time, it feels strangely cozy and warm. It’s like the haunting announcement of something that will be rather exciting.

«Each track is a carefully constructed piece that plays with the dynamics between sound and silence, aggressiveness and calmness. The rhythms, although based on techno structures, are presented in an irregular and fragmented way, breaking any expectation of repetition or comfort» -an avant-garde techno? Synthesizers twist and crackle, as if being tortured, while layers of white noise and feedback add a level of discomfort that is at once hypnotic and repellent.»

It is curious how the mixture of two artistic styles of his own, such as, on the one hand, electronic music -particularly techno and experimental-, and on the other hand, poetry, enhance his artistic infinities. Techno, with its infinite combination of sounds, and poetry, which reconstructs meaning ad infinitum.

This is notable in the use of the spoken word, a kind of raw and often visceral poetry, which is superimposed on industrial rhythms and electronic atmospheres. The voice, in this case, is not simply a vehicle to convey the lyrics, but an instrument in itself. A layer of complexity that adds to the sound and poetry. Perception is deconstructed in listening, speaking, and writing.

«The influence of Diamanda Galás is evident in the way vocal tones are manipulated, sometimes pushing the voice to the limit of what is humanly possible, with screams and whispers that seem to emerge from the depths of the subconscious. These vocal elements combine with the dense, claustrophobic production to create a sense of despair and alienation that is hard to shake off even after the music has stopped.»

On the one hand, this album is not easy to digest, like any experimental movement, which characterizes it. It is also clear that it is not destined for the masses, to the mainstream of the underground, something I have called the true artifice of art, to find the conspicuous novelty among so much of the same variety. Those perceptions willing to enter his world will be confronted with an experience rich in sonic texture and emotionally intense. «It is a work that cannot simply be listened to in the background; it demands the listener’s full attention, forcing them to confront their own limits of what can be considered music.»

«In short, this release is a testament to the power of sound as a medium of extreme expression and is undoubtedly one of the most daring and challenging works within the current electronic music scene. For fans of spoken word and experimental techno, this album is an essential addition to their collection, though perhaps not something they will want to revisit too often.» There is little left for me to say in the face of such a profound description and well attentive to its own forms. Now the demand falls on the listeners, who must abide by its forms, and respond to such a demand, sonically, aurally, sophisticated, raw, real, novel, and artistic.

Poems and Voice: Joanna Rubio
Composition and arrangements: Miranda Demie
Production: Oliver Nájera & Damian Vargas
Recording Engineer: Oliver Nájera
Mixing: Oliver Nájera & Damian Vargas
Mastering: Damian Vargas
Consultant: Yuko Corleone

Art and design: Aron Smith
Executive Production: Miranda Demie, Joanna Rubio, Damian Vargas y Oliver Nájera
Recording Studios: Fractal Sono Lab & El Espacio

Release Date: August 23rd. 2024
Support & Buy on Bandcamp

Tracklist
1. Técnicas de riego 01:05
2. Canto uno 02:03
3. Canto dos 04:50
4. Canto tres 02:41
5. Canto cuatro 02:27
6. La casa que decimos adiós 06:33
7. El alma, cuando muere, le sigue creciendo las uñas 07:44
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KRATERMUSIC PRODUCT™ 2024
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