40 Octaves Below - Splintered

A single, eerie synth line starts the latest single from 40 Octaves Below, sounding like that of a squealing train coming down an old, haunted New York subway tunnel. Not lasting in the silence alone for too long, a raw bassline rises to the occasion and delivers a bit of a post-punk vibe to the entire spiel. Electro-industrial is still alive and well thanks to the dirty electronics that sound equally gritty and fresh. 40 Octaves Below’s vocals perfectly fit the mold this time around, matching both in intensity and finding a lovely place in the mix.

Like 40 Octave Below’s previous two EPs teasing their upcoming album “MetaVersUs” there is a remix section. On each of these releases both Live Evil Productions and Anthony (H) have been a part of the remix section. While I’ve had differing views on their remixes for the past two releases, it would be nice to see 40 Octaves Below collaborate with a few new faces rather than the same old.   

Nonetheless, Anthony (H) deconstructs the song and transforms it into a bit of a slow drum’n’bass beat with an emphasis on the bass elements. Live Evil productions also emphasizes the bass elements, but transforms the track more into a dark industrial techno track. MATT HART also takes the reigns in remix work; his song makes the vocals harsher, and dives straight into electro-industrial territory more than ever. The only remix I am not huge on is Silence in Machine’s rendition of the single. It’s hard to describe, but I feel as if there’s a lot of moving parts that don’t quite fit together; as if one gear was way too small in order to turn the rest. The electronic notes sitting atop the beat don’t go along with everything else and the static noise present throughout the track directly contrasts that. 

We’ve only one more single to go before 40 Octave Below’s full album is released, and it’s shaping up to be a pretty good one. Still, I reserve judgement until I get my hands on the whole thing.