emilie škrijelj & tom malmendier | tropism @ take effect (us)

9/10

The sophomore album from the electric duo of Tom Malmendier and Emilie Škrijelj, Tropism brings drums, objects, a turntable and electronica to 3 very adventurous avante-garde compositions.

“Patoka Mata” starts the listen with unpredictable drumming from Malmendier as screeching, jagged electronica enters the very unusual but highly interesting climate that spends 20 minutes mesmerizing us.

“Pua Pill” occupies the middle spot, and recruits lively percussion alongside a tense and very eccentric form of droning that’s artistic, iconoclastic, and defies any sort of easy classification.

The final track, “Kipo Kipo”, is the best, and displays furious drumming amid light buzzing and dancing electronics. Bridging a tribal spirit with a futuristic quality, at just over 4 minutes the track ends entirely too soon.

Certainly an unclassifiable listen, calling this experimental might be an understatement, as noisey bouts, creative improvising and a highly meticulous attention to detail leave the listener in awe of this exciting performance.