orphx: pitch black mirror

late arrival. Pitch Black Mirror is the new full length album from industrial techno veterans Orphx, co-presented by Sonic Groove and Hands. Rich Oddie and Christina Sealey have created a diverse and distinctive body of work over the last 23 years and this album may be their most definitive statement yet. Pitch Black Mirror foregrounds the duo's unique fusion of techno and industrial but also demonstrates their ability to continually push their sound in new and challenging directions by drawing on elements of electro, post-punk, and EBM. The human voice is a central element here, ranging from subtle layers of samples and location recordings to the more prominent vocals of Rich Oddie and guest vocalist Marie Davidson. The album is also notable for its detailed sound design, courtesy of Sealey's modular synthesizer systems, Oddie's percussion and synth work, and software mutations from founding Orphx member Aron West. With its sonic and lyrical imagery of watery depths, lost love, and transmutations, Pitch Black Mirror offers a sonic landscape that is clearly inspired by personal and social turmoil but points towards the possibility of creative transformation.