You only have to take one look to Vampire Slayer’s logo to know that the black metal influence on this track is not a complete coincidence. The first song off the electronic project’s forthcoming album, Ways To Die, features freezing moon-atmospherics and melodies reminiscent of classic “trve” bands from Norway in the early nineties. In a way, it parallels another electronic project who recently dabbled in this grim music language: The Soft Pink Truth and their record Why Do The Heathen Rage?
Unlike TSPT’s album, this one doesn’t try to take black metal out of it’s comfort zone. Rather, Valentín Torres takes these elements, mixes them up, and makes a calm track featuring glitchy beats, noise corridors, and the sound of someone sighing drenched in reverb. At some point, you can hear seagulls from a distance becoming closer as the track winds down to a stop.
This Mexicalli-bred, L.A.-residing producer (and member of Maniquí Lazer) has recorded some of the most intense and challenging electronic music in recent memory. Ways To Die, the follow-up to the excellent Silence Wave EP, will be released June 30 by the venerable Tijuana label Static Discos.
As for “Not Tonight,” its creator said about the track: “I feel like it was like finding zen in the track, like when you’re done having sex and you light up a cigarette…when you exhale the smoke and you feel super chill.” We’ll take a drag.
Listen to “Not Tonight” here.