Ded.Pixel - Form.Follows.Function

I don't want to sit here and talk about Ded.Pixel's past all too much, as there is hardly any to really write home about. However, you will find me praising this sole man's work from one end of the musical spectrum to the next. Releasing in January 2015 would be his debut EP Form.Follows.Function. Five tracks await in the ambient, post rock, and IDM fueled cinematic landscapes that curate images reminiscent of 70s and 80s synth artists.

The boast of influence from 70s and 80s artists came entirely to fruition as I first sat down to listen to the EP. Beyond.The.Pale. has this amazing sound to it, but also comes packed with a synth rhythm that reminded me of the theme song from the classic gangster film, Scarface. Needless to say, the piano work that came along with the song and the beautifully wrought ambiance that more or less served as an echo in the background were fantastic. This was a well thought out eight minute track, and I loved every bit of it.

Drums definitely took more of a stance in Are.We.Still.Here?, smashing away expectations with hard to soft hits. Again, piano worked its way in to a glorious effects. The next track, Cognitive.Dissonance. had a heavy wall of ambiance to it for a good half of it, but slowly worked its way into an electronic track. Given the two minute and twenty second length and being placed in the middle of the tracklist, I'm sure it was also meant to serve as a bit of an intermission.

Some heavily touched upon digital vocals, almost subliminal, come into play in Malignant., again serving up another slice of electronic heaven, and the more straight lined, sooth setting and more influenced by the 70s sounding Nil. ended the album on a high note.

Take into consideration that this is the artist's debut EP, and you'll find yourself probably dropping your jaw at what a tremendous job he was able to pull off with this release. His influences definitely shine in his music, and though I can go on listing a million different people who could have possibly held sway on his sounds, I'll leave that for you to think about.

This EP is available for pre-order from AnalogueTrash, and I highly recommend you go in and grab a copy. Dec 25 2014