Spectral Empire prove once again that they are some of the deepest producers working today. The UK duo - George Thompson (aka Black Merlin) and Kyle Martin (half of Land Of Light) - make their Nuearth Kitchen debut with two tracks of stunning depth and range.
"Goloko Dhama" is one of those obsessive, white-knuckle pieces that seem too short, even at nearly nine minutes. It begins with muted, throbbing Native American tribal beats and an artfully cacophonous and warped metallic tone splatter. A disorienting, bass-y oscillation pulsates throughout the track like a forehead vein of an Olympic weightlifter, and with each passing minute Spectral Empire increase the music's strangeness and intensity. A stellar example of spy-thriller disco, "Goloko Dhama" induces an exhilarating paranoia not unlike that created in Can's epic "Mother Sky"; it keeps you moving while forcing you to look apprehensively over your shoulder.
Sadhus are ascetic Hindus who reject the material world for a life of prayer, chanting, and meditation. The track "Sadhu" seems like it could be emanating from a Nepalese mountaintop after a morning ceremony. It begins with exotic tintinnabulation, distant bass ripples, and celestial temple drones and then gradually accrues a steely-eyed, tribal-disco propulsion, accented by sputtering 808s that slyly allude to those in Plastikman's "Spastik." Spectral Empire keep the tension understated throughout while generating a tingly euphoria that's all the more special for being kept on a tight leash. "Sadhu" is the soundtrack to a long journey in unfamiliar climes in which every stride and glance are supercharged with wonder.