[Reviewed by Peter Marks]
Brief though it may be, ‘The Fall of Atlas’ packs a punch. Concentrated techno beats are shoved up against alien atmospheres with wiry programming slithering through each and every frame. There’s a wisdom which states that the less you show the more is left to the imagination and goddamn have Tracya taken this to heart; it doesn’t matter how much volume is employed when listening or what brand of headphones you use, there’s a consciousness at work here which is determined to fight you all the way through.
Wresting out what secrets this release contains has proven to be a herculean task this past week; I’ve never encountered such density in this style of music before. It is as though the artist behind tracks like “Syria” and “Invisibles” set out to fashion an aural anchor with which to plunge his audience to the depths of their subconscious. I’ll say this much, for being a hair under 25 minutes there’s more creativity contained here than in any 8+ hour monument to mediocrity being universally lauded by many others in the press.
Tracya were an unknown to me but once more Xtraplex reached into the void and here we are.
I’m sure comparisons will be made to others who have explored this little corner of the equalizer but for the life of me I cannot make any. This is most likely due to the fact that since I got this shiny barb I have not been able to quit it, the rhythmic combinations alone are enough to warrant continuous plays; the sounds swirling about them are like a dust storm which breaks down anything remotely solid in it’s path. Par for the course because the message of this EP is quite simple: nothing endures forever.
No man is an island.
Tracya – The Fall of Atlas
Xtraplex Records, xpl039
Digital 2018
Santa Sangre 