Stroon, Mrkva/Bolka, Poo – Bratislava sonics’ new releases

Published December, 2012
by Easterndaze

Night-time Bratislava – Kamenné Námestie

We’ve already given praise to Bratislava’s electronic scene in the past and the truth is, the good things are still going on. Be sure to check this triple combo of excellent releases from Slovakia’s capital Bratislava.

Stroon – Triple Farewell (Exitab, 2012)

Not much has been written about the third solo EP of Bratislava’s multinstrumental talent Stroon. As with his previous releases, Triple Farewell sees Stroon in his moody and cinematic shape, with tracks deeply influenced by music ranging from dub-techno to emotive synth-based post-dubstep.

<a href=“http://exitab.exitmusic.org/track/crucial-point” data-mce-href=“http://exitab.exitmusic.org/track/crucial-point”>Crucial Point by Stroon</a>

This remarkable EP is by far Stroon’s biggest achievement. Its lush but menacing synthscapes overflow into psychedelia, and together with Stroon’s spellbinding bass and hypnotizing beats offer a glimpse into the unique and original world of bass electronica re-imagined by a musician trained both in contemporary composition and hardcore growling.

Triple Farewell is an under-valued masterpiece and easily manages to stand out amongst the recent downpour of strong releases on Exitab – the loop-based ambient of Casi Cada Minuto harnessing its strength from both post-rock aesthetics and Lopatin’s hypnagogia, the fledling Ink Midget’s trap and juke inspired global-bass debut Re-Leave or the gloomy and derelict urban synth & beat psychosis Glass Lip from Bratislava’s UK expat Aches.

<a href=“http://exitab.exitmusic.org/album/triple-farewell” data-mce-href=“http://exitab.exitmusic.org/album/triple-farewell”>Triple Farewell by Stroon</a>

MRKVA / BOLKA (ZVUKOLOM, 2012)

This is High-frequency trading music. Split-second samples and micro-management of frequencies and loops, the release showcases the post-intuitive side to contemporary composition, the one based on algorithmic synthesis, mathematics and code. Produced in software enviroments like Supercollider the brainy sonics of Mrkva swarm in and out of the aural space, defying the monolithic stereo setup and creating convoluted spaces of miniscule sounds that fluidly morph into series of highly (dis)organized enviroments.

Even amongst the coldly generated soundstorms, moment of familiarity and beauty arise. Be it field-recordings – sounds of dripping water and electromagnetic spectrums on INUITIS or the mesmerizing and somewhat tragic drone of Mrkva’s last track ANDERS, decomposing in repetitions of abstract mathematical formulaes.

Bolka’s part starts in a barely perceivable way of sparsely floating debris of frequencies, but then his ghastly freq residuums break into moments of flourishing drones that develop over fragmentary sonic landscapes that remotely resemble a chopped & screwed version of abstract breakcore of Xanopticon’s seminal LP Liminal Space.

MRKVA / BOLKA marks the first music release of Mrkva’s LOM label after its initial compilation featuring several established and upcoming experimental electronica musicians from Slovakia. In between music releases the label serves as a platform to present Mrkva’s and other label member’s custom built hardware and software for electronic musicians.

<a href=“http://zvukolom.bandcamp.com/album/mrkva-bolka” data-mce-href=“http://zvukolom.bandcamp.com/album/mrkva-bolka”>MRKVA/BOLKA by LOM</a>

Poo – Kappa-Opioid Gain remixes (Pre optimal order records, 2012)

The chaos magick masters, the wizards of osc~, the meticulous scientists of the apocalyptic dark-ambient drone, Bratislava’s Poo, are no newcomers on the scene. Fuelled by alienizing effects of global capitalism and its ofshore/near-shore outsourcing and the many flavours of exotic psychedelics, its TIHKALs and PIHKALs, Poo and their complex yet enthralling sonics descend into the consciousness with a visceral capacity to overthrow and re-program. Sound is the law, sound under will – this paraphrase of Alesteir Crowley’s saying could be considered almost emblematic for the output of this contradictory duo. 

Their latest release, distributed online, was the Kappa-Opioid Gain single, a doomsday, abstract and vile dub-noise Poo offered for remixing. Now, a year later the remixes are here and surprisingly, they feature only Bratislava-based producers Mrkva, Acidmilk and DNC. For those curious enough – follow this link and say “333” 333 times to dwelve deep into the desolate, derelict but succulent spaces of Poo.

Last week Poo released yet another appetizer for their long-awaited second LP – the first of the nine drony chapters of “The Sounds of Mana” series. Click & disappear here.