- Rødhåd's previous EP, the cosmically inclined Kinder Der Ringwelt, made a notable shift toward productions more expansive than the dance floor hypnotism he's known for. His latest, Söhne Der Erde, is similarly ambitious, and again there's a lot to like (even without an epic like "Im Glanz Des Mondes").
First track "Lookitthat" has a loopy, offbeat bassline that's classic Rødhåd but at a low-slung 110 BPM, a rare move for the artist. There's plenty of space given over to ominous and dramatic atmospheres, which tended to lurk further afield in earlier work. In contrast, the menacing jack of "Maschinenvolk," with its biting cymbals, unpredictable claps and discordant synths, becomes so tightly wound that it sounds on the verge of bursting.
Broken-beat cut "Vivarium" is the most straightforward thing here, but it still veers toward the deep end, thanks to reverb-drenched howls and growls and long, darkly lit pads. Last track "Verhängnisvolle Nebel" is the EP's most abstract and evocative. Singer Sara Clark, a collaborator on Kinder Der Ringwelt, returns with wordless vocals, cooing and wailing amid barely-there rhythms and slowly intensifying drones. Then, intriguingly, there's a short and almost uplifting coda. Considering the stylistic switch-ups of these last two records, one can't help but wonder if a Rødhåd album is in the works.
TracklistA1 Lookitthat
A2 Maschinenvolk
B1 Vivarium
B2 Verhängnisvolle Nebel