Hathor: Ghoul / Harm Attempt
none60

Hathor set himself a rather considerable challenge in having his own single follow “Mirrored,” the incredible collaboration he did with none60 showrunners Dan Blishen and Andy Hobbs for their recent Silent Dust two-tracker. If the one-two punch that pairs “Ghoul” and “Harm Attempt” isn't quite as mind-blowing, it's still a spectacular piece of work from the Vilnius, Lithuania-based producer.

Aptly titled, “Ghoul” crawls from its diseased, crackle-drenched crypt, with voice snippets and moans by reanimated corpses draping themselves across a bass-thudding, half-step pulse for five destabilizing minutes. Peppered by echoing snares and rolls, the bone-crushing beat pattern definitely makes its presence felt, but it's the trippy sound design you'll remember most, such material showing Hathor to be an inarguably sophisticated handler of sound and texture. The punchier of the cuts is “Harm Attempt,” which after dedicating much of the first minute to macabre soundscaping directs its attention to a high-rolling tech-step swing, all booming kick drums and skull-cracking snares. Spooky it is, but also a joy to listen to and another stunning display of Hathor's skill set.

May 2019