Referèndum

The first vinyl release by Exoteric Continent (an alias of Barcelona's Arnau Sala Saez) is grittier and more experimental than many of his more techno-leaning cassettes, echoing the '80s tape underground aesthetic with shades of the industrial techno of Surgeon and Sandwell District. Saez combines primitive drum machines and tape manipulations with throbbing layers of noise, resulting in paranoid, insular constructions similar to Thought Broadcast or Ekoplekz. "Transició" eschews steady rhythm for a nervously buzzing blanket of feedback, punctuated by mantra-like bells and percussion. "Definició d'Estat" goes in a more minimal, clicking direction similar to Kplr, while the clanging "Authoritat" recalls Spanish industrial/minimal wave pioneers Esplendor Geométrico. "La Mirada Llarga" is the album's most propulsive techno track, but it has a stilted beat and playfully nagging acid synth lines. Referèndum is a fascinating, wide-ranging collection of experimental electronic music, drawing from techno, industrial, and noise without really fitting into any of those categories. ~ Paul Simpson