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Electronic artisans Sound Tribe Sector 9 craft a sonic imaginarium
of chimerical figures, ambient tones, malleable sound bytes, and
swirling electric light waves on their latest release Ad Explorata
from 1320 Records. Their music has a futuristic vibe reminiscent
of Hot Chip with alluring effects relatable to The Chemical
Brothers and esoteric atmospherics emblematic of Elliot Lipp.
The instrumental team of keyboardist David Phipps, percussionist
Jeffree Lerner, guitarist Hunter Brown, bassist David
Murphy, and drummer Zach Velmer who form STS9 produce
a nomadic journey on Ad Explorata, taking the listener on
a ride into realms that stir the senses and engage the mind.
The tracks stream into one another like a foreign trade route picking
up ideas from every culture it travels through and adapting it into
the group's melting pot. Starting off with the sparkling wavelets
of "Phoneme," the album titillates the mind right out of
the gate and then plunges into the industrial rock depths of "Heavy"
showing tones akin to Nine Inch Nails, which recover into the
fantastical sonic imagery of "Looking Back On Earth." The
tracks will remind folks of the background music played during magic
shows, whether in television programs or shows that are popular at
casinos. STS9's music has a spellbinding feel which is attractive,
though it is a mystery how digitalized sounds craft such scintillating
melodic patterns.
The zigzagging phrasing and malleable curves of "Atlas"
boggle the mind without turning it away, shifting into the title track
which is decked in futuristic sprigs and budding plumes producing
music that is tastefully arranged and attired with cosmic splendor.
STS9's music is esoteric sounding as it fluctuates between feral excitement
and smooth coasting which is exhibited in the soft bristling springs
of "RE: Stereo." The album transforms into a mass of erratic
radio waves in "Central" and converts the transmission into
the sounds of rolling winds and tumultuous blazes in "Lion"
returning to a NIN's intensity. The album closes with the sonic glisten
of "Echoes" framed in softly rolling ambient waves and emulsifying
sound effects that tense up and release in the outro.
STS9's album Ad Explorata is an ad-hoc exploration into sonic
realms that seem intangible and last for a short time. There are no
catchy hooks to hum along to in your head, but the music penetrates
the mind and senses in an aromatherapy type of way. It's an album
meant for atmospheric purposes but it satisfies that need sufficiently.
-Susan Frances
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