After his impressive release for Liber Null in February, Sirio Grimaldi is back on Monolith Records. And this time, with a helping hand from a few friends. On Unknown we are treated to 2 singular efforts, 2 collabs with Steffano Rocchi, as well as a further 6 remixes from the Monolith associates.

    On his 2 solo efforts, Grimaldi continues with the type of immersive sonic sculpture and sound design that we were treated to on Agony—aesthetically quite similar, however the tone is very different: the oppressive claustrophobia and paranoia are gone, replaced by something much more open and projective. Unknown 1.2 is frenetic and high on detail, scoured by metallic abrasions; mechanoid clicks, blips and pulses pepper the track, it's all expertly bolted together like a mind machine with its almost infinite capacity to calculate unfathomable amounts of data. A near-disorientating wall of noise, full of layers and texture, greets us on Unknown 1.4; occasional moments of clarity can be heard through this savage and chaotic backdrop (imagine trying to tune a troublesome old FM radio), which soon subsides to reveal something more beautiful—an orchestral, metallic percussion section emerges, delivering a playful yet very avant-garde composition. Contrary to previous release Agony, this mind is about to explode, not implode.

    Unknown 1.3: here Grimaldi teams up with Steffano Rocchi and Alessandro Bavari (whose impressive Surreal Video 'Arturo' can be seen here), for a track that first appeared a couple of years ago on the Schwarzwald EP at Alhena Records: a throbbing kick drum rips through the intricate tapestry woven in soft keys and melodic pads from scratchy electronic noise, clunks, slashes and scrapes, it's very hypnotic, small breaks from the kick throughout give prominence to the keys and pads making it a quite visceral experience. The Extended Mix is shorn of its dreamy quality and has a more muted and sophisticated feel, making it a very useful tool for deep and experimental sets.

    Next up we have the remix work where Scam. quickens the pace and smooths things out with spaced atmospheric drones in his slick minimal treatment, before Artik, fresh from his impressive turn on COUM Ltd, slows things back down again with jerky, bass-heavy tech breaks. Steffano Rocchi doesn't let us down with a progressive and hypnotic post acid exploration, whilst behemoth Alhek provides a peak-time, industrial onslaught that's as richly detailed as it is brutal. Blasted gives up a typically hard workout that teases and torments, seemingly always on the brink, but never quite exploding. And finally, State 0f Disorder conjures a filthy, bleak and relentless distopian vision that wouldn't sound out of place on any of your favourite cyberpunk movie soundtracks.

    Another impressive release from the Sirio and the Monolith crew, there isn't a bad track in here. Grimaldi's sound design sits perfectly within the techno genre, but is by no means restricted by it. Such variety in production more than hints at real knowledge and respect for many different styles of music, which leaves you wondering what he'll come up with next. Do not miss.

Release Type: Album

Release Date: 30 June 2017

Release Format: Digital • CD • DVD

Record Label • Catalog: Monolith Records • MRDG024

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