By Derek Howie
äbvsd's latest EP 'Häxan: The Possession,' is his 5th release and carries on the theme of dark, haunting sounds, backed with twisted samples, over feverishly heavy beats.
'Infestation' opens this 3-song EP with disturbing calls from a sacred, lost child before launching into a 140 BPM tirade of pure Dark Techno. Away from the ever so prominent rhythm lies a hallmark of spine-chilling whispers, groans, screams that form a cinematic horror collage. This is some seriously dark stuff!
A heavily distorted kick drum is the base for 'Oppression,' a more simplistic track with a punch. Unfortunately, even the respite from those raw beats during the early breakdown is short-lived. An eerie sample of spoken word in a foreign tongue fills the lull before the cavalcade returns with a menace. There's even more darkness in the proceedings, with the same voice hypnotically repeating itself over and over and over.
The last song, 'Possession,' rolls out with tormented screams beneath the phased 4/4 beat, accompanied by some rather indistinguishable voices. Still, as the clarity improves, it reveals a sinister male stating, 'I destroyed your sister and lover.' This terrifying individual can be heard throughout the track, drifting in and out as the fastest beat of the EP bangs on.
If you like your sounds sacred, raw and dark, then definitely check out äbvsd. This EP, and other works, are available to stream/buy on Bandcamp. As with all Digital-only music, I highly recommend buying them as WAV files to enjoy the best quality audio in a lossless format.
Interview with äbvsd
by Derek Howie
On my ongoing quest for music, I'm always on the hunt for something new that's a little different, something strange, something a bit darker. Well, that's what we have here.
I found this artist via Instagram; it was the dark imagery used in a short video clip that grabbed my attention initially, then came this thunderous Techno beat; äbvsd is not for the faint-hearted!
I caught up with the guy behind the name for a little chat.
Derek Howie: Hey man, thanks for speaking to us at The Vinyl Hole.
For me, Techno music has always been an audio/visual experience. Can you outline the ideas behind äbvsd?
äbvsd: Hi, thanks a lot for the invite.
There's actually no conscious idea behind äbvsd, it just occurs, because it has to.
DH: Techno and Dance music, in general, is created as singular tracks for DJs to play out to a crowd. Is it possible to think that a longer format, like a continuous live set or a 'concept album' combining audio & visuals, has any merit?
A: I prefer EPs rather than an album, but I do believe in the power of individual sets that are made up of only the artist's own craft, sets that have an intro, a progress and a conclusion which brings the listener to a journey to the worlds inside the artist. Creating them is hard, because the artist needs to find his sound at first and should go deep in his/her library to search for some unreleased tracks or loops or edits -maybe revise them to fit the set- and prepare it.
Combining a long audio with visuals is enormous work and it's very rare. Any audio combined with visuals creates a great effect on the listener in my opinion.
DH: The imagery you use certainly works but is more akin to Black/Death Metal, is there an apprehension or inspiration of this genre away from äbvsd?
A: Actually not. I don't listen to that genre at all. Coincidence maybe.
DH: Clearly, we are both purveyors of Underground music. Who have you been listening to recently?
A: Recently, I have 'Im Regen' by Deutsch Nepal on repeat, I listen to 'Body Betrays Itself' by Pharmakon and as a non-electronic one there's 'Prophecies' from Philip Glass, I have been listening to that track often.
DH: Finally, before I share my review of your most recent release, can you talk to our readers about the future plans for äbvsd?
A: In the short term, I'm working on a set that is 100% äbvsd which will cover a part of unreleased stuff created in the last 2-3 years. For the long run, I want to shoot a video clip for one of my tracks which would shed light on the birth of äbvsd.
You can listen to Häxan: The Possession on Spotify
Make sure to follow äbvsd!
Instagram: äbvsd
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