Premiere: Infinite Hex – xeno_encabultaor.exe
Computer, ENHANCE!
Back in my college days I took a class called Chaos Theory – the main thing I learned was that ‘chaos’ (in the mathematical sense) isn’t randomness, but unpredictability. So when I call xeno_encabulator.exe off Infinite Hex’s debut album Simulacrum and Stimuli chaotic, that’s exactly what I mean. It’s not random, there is a structure to the madness, but once you commit to the song, it’s all hard turns and blind alleys and there’s no telling where you’re going from one moment to the next.
In true cybergrind style, the track is led by angular grindcore riffs that start and stop with a will of their own over the ominous soundscape of sampled-then-resampled synth driven by their programmed drumbeat taskmaster. It feels like the work of a mad scientist cyborg, unfettered by the typical musical constructs of beats, measures, and time signatures that us mere mammals lean on when making music. It feels like it should be the soundtrack to Kaizo Mario World, the exemplar of abusive game design, where every user-friendly design consideration is subverted and turned inside out.
If you’re looking for something with a straightforward coherence or form, you won’t find it here. But if you’re seeking an infinite-mirror reflection of music that’s constantly re-interpreting and emulating itself, or you need some chaotic music to commiserate our very chaotic modern times, then check out the single below. Simulacrum and Stimuli drops later this month on August 20th.
