Zonra - Time Is A Tool

Artwork: Katie Hale

Subverting compositional and design tropes each step of the way, the Zonra project has maintained a striking consistency in its escape from the norms of conventional electronic music. Straddled somewhere between the dance-centric sound of contemporary bass music producers and the aural experimentation developed by IDM pioneers, Jackson Hale achieves a stable balance between groove and intrigue with each subsequent release, moving that needle closer to either end whenever the need arises. In time-tested fashion, his latest LP is a work of beauty from every angle, and as such, The Rust is incredibly excited to premiere Time Is A Tool as our 61st label release.

Previous Zonra records have featured an amalgam of shredded synthesis, mean breakdowns, and carefully threaded melodic elements. Unsurprisingly, Hale flipped the script entirely for Time Is A Tool; The LP’s opening moments involve smooth harmonies egressing into smooth cadence, and that relationship carries on throughout each track. Choice waves of tension and release, told through the intentional splaying of tones and textures into glitched-out symphonies, creates a permeable catharsis within each fold of the record, slowly churning the listener towards the album’s zenith. Opting for slow, caressing tempos and chord phrases reminiscent of serene lullabies, the traditional throaty bass lines and hyper-compressed downbeats are put out to pasture in favor of a record filled to the brim with particularly intentional and resoundingly magical moments of introspection and rest. For those keen on finding their next sonic journey amidst a crowd with a dancefloor focus, Time Is A Tool is assuredly the album you’ve been searching for.

Shapesift - Attic Salt

Artwork: Ayla Alvarez

Working with deliberate focus and a taciturn presence, Shapesift has been steadfastly designing and minting a bespoke catalog of psychedelia-infused electronic music. Across several previous releases, he’s experimented with potent blends of contemporary sound design and time-tested, narrative songwriting. With a superb consistency across his productions, he’s got a firm hold on the ears of his contemporaries, and as such, The Rust is incredibly excited to host his most recent release, Attic Salt.

Attic Salt has all the hallmarks of Shapesift’s notable production palette coupled with a vibrant maturation in his arrangement capabilities and creative risks. Fusing psybient rhythms and melodic tropes with high-octane bass synthesis is a bridge between two often disparate genre umbrellas, and yet this unusual methodology is precisely what struts his dialed-in compositional finesse. Taking the path less traveled, Attic Salt traverses both cerebral and feisty atmospheres, displaying a powerful handling of force and precision with stunning clarity. For appreciators and collectors of niche and novel electronic music, Shapesift’s Attic Salt should be the next addition to your growing collections.

not yes - Nod Heads

Hailing from Amsterdam and keen to make a vivacious debut on the North American scene, the producer duo not yes has cooked up a distinct serving of broken-beat bass music.

Forgoing the more abrasive, breakneck energy and heavily-textured mixing fundamentals of their often hyper-precise American counterparts, not yes has found an intriguing balance through lithe, groove-driven production palettes and headnod rhythms on their aptly titled nod heads EP.

Each of the four tracks that populate the EP stand out through their own distinct flavors, and create a concise plate of not yes' particular blend of precision percussion and needle-threaded sound design. They're not too brackish, avoiding the often muddy waters of high-velocity bass music, but they're by no means featherweights; if you're looking to cut your teeth on something with whipcord tension and deliberate composition, then nod heads is undoubtedly up your alley.