ANDREAS DAVIDS: Landscapes EP 3”CD/DL Inner Demons

ANDREAS DAVIDS: Landscapes EP     3”CD/DL Inner Demons

The second three-inch instalment for Andreas Davids of Xotox fame, takes a dramatic turn in form.  Conceptually speaking, this covers environmental factors from a visual perspective turned audio; utilising beat structures over seas of ambient.

‘Landscapes’ is a hot bed of IDM rhythms and glitching patterns, pulling on the soundtrack foundations in dramatic fashion, with only one track emerging as the sole ambient song that doesn’t utilise some form of interference.  Interwoven pattern display has been carefully juxtaposed here, to keep momentum and flowing and the listener on their toes.

As a whole, this little EP is a dramatic change in form from the previous one in this series on Inner Demons (‘Grey’); and shows a multi-faceted palette of capability from Davids as a whole, with a rich a varied tapestry of sounds that pull his work away from being merely pigeonholed.

A neat, intriguing and interesting display from the man more known for destroying club dance-floors with the mighty Xotox.

9/10

ANDREAS DAVIDS: Grey 3”CDr Inner Demons Records

ANDREAS DAVIDS: Grey     3”CDr      Inner Demons Records

Taking a sidestep from your main project can be a daunting task; and here Andreas Davids of the mighty Xotox fame has experimented with something devoid of beats.

This neat little two-tracker is one song, split into two halves.  Part I starts off with a pulsating saw-like grind that treads PE territory.  Underneath the slicing electronics comes a wave of Dark Ambient inspired pads; that glide seamlessly into Part II.

Here, one monotone pulse guides the listener amongst a machine droned backdrop; and the end result is a surprisingly pleasant hypnotic journey.

Overall, this will be a welcome change of tack for Xotox fans and indeed listeners within the DA scene.  I am more than intrigued as to what Davids could conjure up, should he be given the opportunity to produce a full-length of this ilk.

8/10