GHOST IN THE MACHINE Vinyl & CDs

Review: CyberindustrialEBMwavepost-punkIDMmutantelectro. No commas, no punctuation, just one throbbing, convulsing, dystopian mass informed by the bleakest visions of a sci-fi future we deserve but definitely don't want. Originally hailing from Australia, but long-since relocating to Berlin's eastern ends, Kristian Bahoudian, AKA Kris Baha, has clearly absorbed his surrounds, grown through them, and learnt how to channel that brutalism into something truly potent. It's also narratively driven, with the titular spirits in the system a reference to humans in the age of advanced artificial intelligence - beholden to dictatorial codes that rob us of our essence, vitality and individuality. An awakening among a select few means a small number of people become self-aware, again, and can begin pushing back. And this point of tension, between human and machine, plays out sonically. Talk about painting a vivid picture.

Review: Ghost in the Machine takes it back to the start with a searing new acid outing on Zodiak Commune Records. This is a special poster edition of the 12" and it's packed with dark and unsettling moods and monstrously heavy kicks. Opener 'Wall of Fire' is just that with an assault of distorted drums and barrage of prickly percussion and warped synths that blow your brains out. 'Flame Grilled' is another textural and chaotic sound with fizzing textures and ear-splitting acid lines then 'Inferno' picks up the pace with lashings of 303, hammering hits and unrelenting drums. 'Heartburn' shuts down this raw warehouse carnage with pulsing synths and driving drums that leave you exhausted.