Sanctums - Modern Math 001

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  • Calgary duo Sanctums have honed their music dramatically in just over a year, moving from standard chill-out room vibes to the haunting lullabies of last fall's Truth Lifting Up Its Head Against Scandals. Now, kicking off their hometown's new Modern Math imprint, Dan Solo and Evangelos Typist have further purified things, grafting the steely textures of techno onto the lighter architecture of their early work. There's something ominous in their newest release that they've only hinted at before. Rhythm plays a larger role. On "Jaguar (Silence In Presence)," a choppy garage track judders through a careful foundation of piano and bass. "Thirst Or Land" and "Pyramid Scheme" both sneak in house elements. The latter is particularly imposing, powering forward amidst a background of shapeshifting sounds. There are, however, still hints of their ambient past. The beat on "Magnum Opiates" is swallowed up by its beatific chord melody, which sounds halfway between a synth and a choir. "Satellite Past Tense," meanwhile, is like Mount Kimbie under a persistent rain cloud, its slow-motion gallop navigating a thick mist of atmospherics. But best of all is "Tympanum," which hints at Solo's interest in dub as another stomping kick drum swims through waves of delay. The farther Sanctums move away from their ambient comfort zone, the stronger they get.
  • Tracklist
      01 Thirst or Land 02 Tympanum 03 Satellite Past Tense 04 Magnum Opiate 05 Jaguar (Silence in Presence) 06 Pyramid Scheme
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