aiken: inertia

An object resists changing its state of motion with inertia. What pushes back must then be even more vigorous in order to create a uid movement. An example of the force that embodies this dynamic can be found clearly on the appropriately titled Inertia, Aiken’s much anticipated return to Chronicle. The Spanish artist has been spending years honing his craft, focusing on sharp, distinct sounds that create a pure sense of kinetic energy. The title track of the EP bolsters a erce disarray of carefully (de)constructed atonal synthwork and a rhythm section that is set to detonate. It is then followed by “Axial”, a track that stays as true to modular miscalculations as it does to stripped down techno, combining both in a subliminal cessation of sanity. However Aiken isn’t done there. He continues with “Magnetism”, which throws a brick in the glass of conventionality with its earth-shaking layers of textured momentum. Phased pads then wash over “Soul Drama”, bringing the entire experience to an emotionally laced denouement. After the potency of his last record on Chronicle as well as his releases on imprints such as his own label Timeline and the Spanish powerhouse Semantica, Inertia marks a definitive step forward for an already exceptional artist.