reviewed by Michael Thomas

The experimentation continues. After releasing “Blown Fuse/Rumours of a Murder” last year, Frederiction-based experimental electronic artist Artifiseer continues to work on his debut album. In the meantime, he’s released this six-song EP of songs that he decided not to include on the LP.

Just as before, Artifiseer deals in complexities and density. The songs on the Recognition EP are never static, often taking away and adding sounds several times within the frames of one song. Nothing is really off-limits, from distorted vocal samples to the sound of industrial grinding to what sounds like a xylophone.

The intro “Wondering/Wandering” and the outro “LOST” both serve well as bookends, keeping the flow of the songs a little more static in order to prep (and then “debrief,” so to speak) the listener.

The four full tracks leave plenty of room for dissection. “Recognition” begins with ghostly howls and adding in some strange vocal samples before transitioning to a pleasant swirling mixture of beats, with the song ending as though it were part of a Buddhist ritual.

“Frozen” builds up sound from a single note, bringing in a steady beat while also adding in some drum-machine effects. Later on in the song some synth waves make an appearance, almost giving it a synth-pop sound but distorting the end of the notes to keep listeners on their toes. This song also features the clearest section of vocals.

“Mindswimming” is another short song, but packs a huge cacophony of sounds into its brief time frame, almost giving the effect of visiting a river while all the flora and fauna are active.

Then there’s “Nightambiance,” with some high-pitched vocal samples that occasionally punctuate the song. This song will probably leave the biggest mark on listeners, particularly as it moves on to industrial sounds, and then the sound of waves (which may also be white noise).

This EP seems to be best listened to with closed eyes. Give it enough of your imagination and it can probably take you on quite the journey.

Top Track: “Nightambiance”

Rating: Strong Hoot (Good)