Null (Kazuyuki Kishino) — Extropy Zero 1
Extropy Zero 1 presents 2 long tracks of experimental noise/ techno fusion. Rob Gordon, the main protagonist in the film High Fidelity, has a great scene where he describes the subtle art of creating the perfect mix tape:
The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you got to take it up a notch, but you don’t wanna blow your wad, so then you got to cool it off a notch. There are a lot of rules.
In many ways, Extropy Zero 1 transpires in a very similar fashion. The 2 tracks that make up this album unfold in a very planned and methodical way (or so it seems). Mr. Kishino’s tracks ebb and flow, kick you in the guts, nurse you back to health, inspire a spontaneous dance party, cool you off, and then hit you over the head with a bludgeon. It’s a wild ride, but Null knows how to overstimulate his listeners’ senses, only to reel things in, right before they jump off the cliff. The album is healthy tension of: hyper-fast techno rave gyration, crunchy junk metal abuse, nature sounds (most notably avian and aquatic sounds), swaths of static wash, sci-fi synth whizzing and whirling, rhythmic beats, pulsating synth, glitch, 8-bit nintendo bloops and bleeps, computer digi-electronics, and harsh noise flourishes. In other words, a treasure trove of artifacts found in the wider umbrella of experimental music, of which Null manages to touch on about every one from A to Z.
The production on the album is very polished, especially for being recorded live. As a matter of fact, the overall recording, along with the art and production, has a quasi Front 242, 90’s techno/industrial vibe to it.
Generally, I gravitate towards noise and electronic music that’s scummier...grimier, but Null is certainly the exception to the rule. Perhaps my effusive praise sounds a bit hyperbolic, but if the shoes fits….