Bob Data - States Of No Matter

Belgian artist with Latvian roots Bob Data got his start in music making in 1988 in Germany, however his modern day adventures come out of Latvia. Composing post-industrial pieces influenced by electro, minimal techno, ambient, noise, and more, Bob Data is the founder of Irklis (formerly known as Audioscope, Forma Anonym). Under his solo name, Bob Data released his debut album "The Stars Are Fire" in August of 2020 via record label Sturm. A year has passed since that initial release and now Bob Data has a new EP titled "States Of No Matter" out on the label. Though the title of the tracks might confuse some as they are all a mix of the words "no", "matter", and "things", Bob Data has supplied a hypnotic and minimal electro-industrial EP. 

Song number one is titled 'No Matter Things'. It begins with a siren-like deep synth that's built upon by pulsing bass rhythms and the clashing of further percussive instruments. Odd textures that whip across the soundscape come alive further in the song, giving it an alien-like appeal. I adore the sweeping synths that decorate the track further on, as well as the computer sounding blips that join the fray later on. The second track titled 'Things No Matter' takes the minimal approach even further. Rather than sounding like a full song, it sounds like an experimental modular piece meant to be played over a set-piece in a movie. The light beat that comes in around the two-minute and ten-second mark gives the song fresh life.



I wasn't a huge fan of the opening of track number three, 'Matter No Things'. It's a dark ambient / drone-ish piece that doesn't add in a whole lot of textural effects to keep me invested. However, after a high pitched synth rolls through, I am delivered an underground beat that swears of ominous pleasures. It reminds me of music in a movie or a video game that would be used to introduce the protagonist to a shady character. The final song on the album, 'No Things Matter', has a sea wall like sound effect as waves come in and retract from a sandy shore on a late night. These waves, however, transform into a noise wall. The track adds in several synths that create a beautiful but curious atmosphere. Later in the song, Bob Data adds in heavy doses of bass drops and creates a weird but wonderful industrial tune. 

Bob Data's "States Of No Matter", as confusing as the track list might be (no points deducted for that, mind you), is a wonderfully odd and experimental EP. All four tracks give various flavors of Bob Data's musical artistry, with my favorite of the bunch being track number one. To say the very least, I'm quite looking forward to what this producer has in store for us next. Seven-and-a-half out of ten! 

This review was commissioned through our Ko-fi page.
Sep 07 2021