Tuesday 2 June 2015

Codas – ‘Currents’ (Album Review)


Album Type: EP
Date Released: 2/6/2015
Label: Crowquill Records

‘Currents’ CD//DD track Listing:

1). The Sun Martyr
2). Follow The Blind
3). White Black
4). Currents

Review:

As the solo project of Mario Quintero (Sleep Lady, Spotlights), the debut EP from Brooklyn based Codas has a very cool roster of sonic ingredients! This is going to be a new favorite for all lovers of drone, electronic, mathcore, and post-metal.

This EP is pretty awesome. No lyrics or vocals getting in the way of all the textures and atmospheres. I could easily put this album on from start to finish and not skip a single track. I would also imagine this would be great for listening to at night, driving long distances, or when thinking really fucking hard about something. I love this style of music.

On the track “The Sun Martyr” there is a distinct drone throughout, underneath a gritty, driving, and syncopated electronic drum beat. Guitars and other keys layer on top of one another. (Its almost like what I would imagine visiting another planet would sound like. In fact, if I were making a movie about visiting another planet, in the scene where we actually get to the planet, this song would be playing. At that rate I would just use this EP in its entirety for my imaginary of the film.) Immediately after ‘The Sun Martyr’ there is a crushing mathy drum beat with lots of busy guitar work to make your head spin...so don't get too comfortable with one particular beat on this EP. ‘Currents’, the title track and also the longest song on the EP starts off like something from the Fight Club soundtrack, and at times it sounds as if Aphex Twin, Baroness, Kongh, and Don Caballero are all collaborating together. The immensely powerful, odd timed drums at the end of this song are a great way to cap off the EP. Well done Codas, this is a great debut!

Put this on and be prepared to space out for a while. Very refreshing, great production quality, the drum samples sound awesome and don't take away from the fact that there isn't really a human drummer on the record (that I could hear anyway). Lots of shimmering guitar effects, well placed drone chugs, glitches and ticks, dying robot noises...but also a balance of intricate and melodic guitar work. This record is like a rebirth in a way. By the time you are done listening to it, you'll be looking forward to the next one just as much as I am.

Words by: Joel Willis

‘Currents’ is available here

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