Fergus Sweetland - Illorian

6 Dec

Fergus Sweetland joins the illustrious Mexican label Illegal Alien Records in 2023. His EP, Illorian (2023), is bone-chillingly experimental and groovy while packing quite a punch in the club. The Australian has been working hard to hon his style since his involvement with the Bomphcast in 2015. Illorian is a psychedelic trip through texture and tone. Sweetland intertwines esoteric sound design with a keen ear for samples. Sweetland switches gears between ultra-modern experimental technique and a unique take on more classically recognised dub techno.

The first track of the EP 'Illorian' hit some interesting rhythmic notes, taking inspiration from Kassem Mosse's Workshop releases. Minimalistic beats are glued together by dissonant organs that wail in the background. Rattling rhythms unfurl, adding swing to Sweetland's eclectic mix of vocals and jazz samples, further adding to the eeriness. The skin-crawling basses on 'Gangalang' sound like the rustling of an insect's exoskeleton. This creepy effect furthers the unnerving atmosphere found in the title track. The complex call and response are reminiscent of Blawan's rough, alien, and perfectly designed music.

In stark contrast, 'Everybody - Dub Mood' follows more familiarly trodden ground. It is steam-powered dub techno. It's as riveting as it is full of momentum. Steamy, dub chords have a sinister lurch, as though the train is unstable. The cluttering hats, wayward claps, and gritty shakers play together like locomotive chugging. 'Moods of A Hungover Man' builds with ambivalence as Fergus Sweetland again stretches his dub techno muscle. Heavy throttling kick drums shake low-end, forcing their way through gritty texture that washes over with a disdain for comfort. A perfect allegory for hungover. It's somewhere between the compressed haziness felt on the pounding be that seems ever present in the cranium.

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