polysick: daydream

Rome-based producer Egisto Sopor has been turning heads with a steady stream of most excellent releases. A CD-R on Legowelt's Strange Life Records, a tape on 100 % Silk, a double LP on Planet Mu and an ever-growing series of jams that are put on Soundcloud or on his Youtube channel. All of which offer atmospheric, acid-tinged techno laced with idiosyncratic touches. He has thus developed quite a cult-following among lovers of lo-fi electronic music who eagerly await his next grainy video, that feel like lost transmissions from an early '90s MTV broadcast. Polysick doesn't get out much and keeps a low profile which adds to his rather enigmatic standing. With his new LP Daydream, Egisto has created the perfect soundtrack to a midnight trip through darkened cityscapes. Starting out like a confused jam session, it slowly takes off and twists into uncanny shapes, conjuring up images of a futuristic nightlife that plays out under neon lights, with a feeling of dread constantly lurking in the shadows. This is techno that tells a tale; a storyboard that comes pushing through in muffled flashes. A chase scene through deserted back alleys, executed while hunter and prey are both in a half-awake state, stuck in an infinite loop. And when the ambient synth twirls unravel and a 4/4 pulse kicks in and tears through the dreamy state of consciousness, it never signals a reassuring release of tension. You might dance to it, but not without anxiously looking over your shoulder. 180 gram vinyl limited to 500 copies.