Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Kontradikshn
Label: Implicit Division Production
Release: 2014
Length: 26:18
Rating: 4/5
Kontradikshn are yet another important herald of the underground blossoming in Slovenia, one that has been winning more and more sympathy lately, especially within the tightly defined circle of fans of offbeat expression and alternative sonic flexibility. It’s one more experiment in smashing electronics into rock. There still aren’t many bands in Slovenia dealing with the collision of these two elemental approaches, but with every new arrival this corner of the music scene is slowly getting denser too! That way our scene is picking up plenty of new qualities, which let it hold its own against the far more sprawling international scene when it comes to experimentally crossing electronics with the traits of rock. No question about it. It’s a musically appealing thing that offers you, as a performer (an artist), many, many variations in how you pick your ideas for composing and arranging music.
In daring to be original, there are some seriously bold new Slovenian bands working this turf: ZircuS, Karmakoma, World : Within, It’s Everyone Else,… and now Kontradikshn are joining them. Each of the bands named develops its own take on fusing rock with electronics, one built on flirting with the sound of the eighties, when synthesizers ruled the arrangements across countless genres! Since this musical sphere offers so many directions a chosen band can develop in, in this case Kontradikshn, there’s a solid chance they can lay healthy foundations for their own artistic identity right out of the gate. With this EP, Brežice’s Kontradikshn credibly announce that yet another seriously interesting band is entering the Slovenian music scene, and one worth keeping an eye on in whatever it does next.
The label »synth rock« sounds the most straightforward, but it’s nowhere near enough, as it’s far too loose for what’s on the »Anatomy« EP. The first four tracks come out of an aggressive collision of overdriven guitar phrases with far-from-gentle avalanches of synth lines, which, in contrast with the uniformity of chunky, upfront dance »beats«, create a hypnotic haze and lead any listener into a state of mentally switching off. This surplus of noise is often balanced out (relieved) by passages that make room for a simply structured, listener-»friendly« melody (Cyanide Pill). The sound is chunky, raw and “grabs apocalyptically”, which is essential here and very welcome, since melody gets pushed fully to the margins this time around. The last two tracks on the album provide a contrasting detour; they’re actually DJ-style remixes of the originals Poisonous Animal (Ian Green) and Ethaldose (Subsonic Tribe). While the first remix has noticeable »dark ambient« elements backed by a »techno industrial« rhythm loop, the second is all about shaking up the rhythmic structures with drum ‘n’ bass elements. The band’s vibe on the EP is dark and obscure throughout, which makes it pretty clear that Kontradikshn carry a special shine of the electronic underground in Slovenia.
Given the sonic minimalism of the compositions themselves, which put most of the focus on building contrast between hard-hitting, uniform rhythms on one side and avalanche-like assaults of repetitively delivered dialogue between guitar phrases and synth lines on the other, this kind of music reaches its greatest atmospheric impact when performed live.
The band plans to put out their studio debut before this year is out. Judging by how many branching directions have been boldly staked out on the »Anatomy« EP, that’s definitely something to look forward to. With their first official musical document, the Brežice lads have already paved their own musical path, and with new experimental challenges woven into their original material, they can build on it richly in the future.
Line-up
Petar Stojanović – vocals, guitar, synthesizer
Matej Plešej – guitar, synthesizer
Matic B. Strojanšek – bass guitar
Aleš Rupar – drums
Production
Kontradikshn
Tracklist
1. Intro
2. Anatomy
3. Lateral Shifting
4. Cyanid Pill
5. Poisonous Animal (Ian Green Remix)
6. Ethaldose (Subsonic Tribe Remix)
