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Harm Stryker:
Self-Titled EP
Good, abstract electronic music is as hard to find as it is to describe and categorize. Harm Stryker is an experimental electronic outfit that assembles refreshing, edgy pieces using musical components that will be familiar to fans of the genre. The first track of the four-song Harm Stryker EP is different from the rest of the pack in that it has something like a melody and a harmonic progression. It is a one and a half minute, heavily-reverbed, faux orchestral instrumental that does not in any way prepare the listener for what is to come in the next three tracks. Starting with the second track, Maintenance of Civilization, Harm Stryker abandons both harmony and melody in favor of leaning on the ambient timbre of their electronic clicks and drones to emotionally reach the listener. This is an old trick of experimental electronic artists, but it is a trick that young artists like Harm Stryker seem to keep finding new and fresh ways to work over. Their specific blend of hollow open sound spaces and tight condensed pops and fizzles conveys a real sense of isolation nervousness, and uses its desolate minimalist instrumentation to make every detail of the sound mix matter. Indeed, with the amount of affect they are able to produce with their austere sound selection, Harm Stryker is able to show off their prowess at sound design and manipulation. This is a very good disc to track down for anyone who is into the sound of well-put-together experimental electronic music. Alternately, there is a decent enough variety of sound and style packaged in a manageable length to make this EP a good choice for someone who is merely interested in sampling the sounds of the genre.
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