eprom: metahuman

The musical world of Eprom is as colorful and delirious as the imagined psychedelic science-fiction worlds created by the artist Moebius. Metahuman is Eprom's debut album, borne of futuristic ideals grounding its musical offerings in a space that is far removed from our current reality yet inevitably linked to it. William Burroughs said "if you cut open the present, the future bleeds out," and so the music on this album is inspired by a possible future, but is made and consumed today -- most appropriately in the dark corners of a club where a finely-tuned sound system will allow mind and body to fully appreciate Eprom's sonic subtleties and physical pressures. Twelve tracks long, Metahuman is a bold statement of intent that is aimed squarely at the dancefloor first, though it still functions in other spaces as Eprom balances more restrained moments alongside boisterous musical bravado. "Honey Badger" is one of Eprom's most popular dance numbers that has been a centerpiece of his live sets and received support from many fellow floor-wrecking luminaries. Tracks like "Prototype" and "Can Control," meanwhile, offer a more subdued but no less potent take on eyes-down groove meditation, using powerful mood-setting atmospheres and chopped-up vocal samples from hip-hop and Jamaican music. "Floating Palace" re-appropriates hip-hop's swing for space-hopping aliens in the year 3030 while "Transparency" is one of the album's mellower moments. "Variations" hints at pop friendliness in the saturated synth melodies and bouncy swing of its backing rhythms, a feeling subtly carried into "Love Number," fused with another rhythm that clearly tips its hat to hip-hop. The energy ramps up again on "Sun Death," "The Golden Planet" and "Needle Thrasher," heading towards the album's conclusion on a bed of delirious, floor-friendly melodies and rhythm. "Raytracing" quietly closes the book by flipping many of the elements Eprom uses throughout into a more delicate lullaby. As with previous releases, Metahuman has roots in hip-hop that bleeds effortlessly into electronic and dance music. Using a sort of condensed bass minimalism as the foundation, Eprom manipulates established concepts and expectations of tension and release in ways that are refreshing.