Gamma Intel - E.M.

6 Apr

Fusing breakbeat sounds, futuristic dubstep sound design, and rave aesthetics, Nerve Collect has carved out a niche in the dance music scene with co-founders Gamma Intel and Identified Patient both releasing EPs under the new label. Gamma Intel's E.M. (2023) being the latest, it etches itself into the modern musical landscape with a clean yet powerful tribal-electro edge.

Visceral intensity is the focus for Gamma Intel. E.M. as it drives full throttle towards the dance floor. Every track on E.M. attacks with vigour as drums, bass, and snares rattle and warp each other. A solo bassline will infrequently play, revealing the hidden complexity like on the track 'Trust'. That footwork bass line. The subtle modulation on the ends of phrases. The booming kick. Everything is in service to make 'Trust' dark. Many kick and snare patterns are intentionally sparse to accommodate that complexity. Still, the combination creates and channels that aggressive punk rock electro Gamma Intel is known for, with 'Save Pair of Hands' and 'Panthera Leo' exemplifying that.

'Save Pair of Hands' overloads, then fires you out the other end of a cannon. All the while, Gamma Intel uses a creeping electric sound design to send shockwaves down the spine. More aggressive percussion coupled with layered breakbeats makes you feel like you're inhabiting a void between the metallic highs and gritty lows frequencies. But, again, Gamma Intel shows an intensely off-kilter imagination regarding rhythms with the odd sample combinations of expression. A chugging bass line, sparse kicks and a whip crack snare are all Gamma Intel needs to excite on 'Pantera Leo' as the Dutch artist pairs back percussion here. There is a decidedly Middle Eastern vibe to 'Pantera Leo', helped nicely by the pan flute. This is all action music. This would be the soundtrack as I run from the law through market stalls. The acid adds so much energy and pace to 'Pantera Leo'. The acid line is so vocal and rich that it sounds like it's screaming when the resonance is cranked.

'Little Mirror Man' take a half-time beat and cranks the intensity up to 11. If the beat hadn't already done that, incorporating vocal chops creates a tribalistic effect like chanting, it's repetitive and fully locked into the groove. 'Little Mirror Man' starts as the ep means to go on. It's gritty, energetic, and unrelenting. The superlatives could keep on coming, but that wouldn't do justice. The work that's gone into sample curation and bass groove should be celebrated on this track. With bass like a choppy ocean, what's not to like?

Rhythmic complexity takes centre stage, and layers of breakbeats crash against each other. Gamma Intel crafts an EP with a true punk ideology in electro form. Embracing odd sample selection and working it to its conclusion, gamma feeds this rhythmic info past crushing 808s on '5AM-SBM'. The DIY amalgamation of sounds coupled with the heavy bass kicks should bring some semblance of normalcy, but it has the added effect of making the subs kick like a mule. It would fit perfectly as your out-there selection, it feels high-risk, high reward, but it's just a reward.

In comparison, Gamma Intel plays both sides with the most straight-up electro intro, 'Sleep And Cry' lets you semi-expect you know what's coming. Again, Gamma Intel flips the contemporaries offering up a heavy roller. Keeping the drums as simple as they are, with the kick and snare sounding like the purest form of beatboxing, allows for much more space and complexity from the other instruments. This creates a super danceable groove, and to top it off, the inclusion of fake outros tricks the audience by showing some humour.

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