- The career arc of Photonz—AKA the Lisbon-born, London-based artist Marco Rodrigues—has resembled a slow upward curve, but it's not been without its twists. Since the departure of Miguel Evaristo, who, until 2013, would DJ and play live while Rodrigues handled the bulk of studio duties, Photonz has been a one-man outfit. But that hasn't changed the Photonz sound much: Rodrigues's records, fastidiously focused on loops and rhythm, are great to dance to (if occasionally lacking in memorable melodies), and they have a weird streak that makes them likeable.
Gnosis Of Wolfers, Photonz's Crème Organization debut, emphasises his strong command of rhythm, but aspects of it are catchy, too. "Gnosis Of Wolfers," as the title suggests, channels Crème's resident synth lord, Legowelt, via urgent swells of melody and harsh ambient noise. "Ceremonial Acid" uses similar elements, but stretches them over a broader canvas. A metallic bassline bends into this extra space, providing a more inviting frame for reverb-dipped voice notes and decaying laser sounds.
"Sad Mania" is the most explicitly melodic track, but it's still kept within Rodrigues's spartan parameters. At first, the notes bubble gently to the song's surface in isolation; but when they eventually cluster, the melody suddenly comes together. "Filterhatz" places hi-hats centre stage as they fizz and crash over a chain of acid squelches and a distorted, organ-like synth. Finally, the digital-only "Basik" unnecessarily adds strings to the record's distinctive overall palette of bleeps and drums.
Lista de títulosA1 Gnosis Of Wolfers
A2 Ceremonial Acid
B1 Sad Mania
B2 Filterhatz