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Black Gloves
Electronic · 2020

Black Gloves

MSTRKRFT

Abrasive, hardware-driven electro that trades club polish for industrial grit. Distorted modular synths and punishing rhythms create a relentless, blackened atmosphere.

October 30, 2020 · AntiFragile Music

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Black Gloves represents a significant hardening of the MSTRKRFT sound, moving away from the neon-soaked blog-house of the mid-2000s into a much darker, more industrial territory. It feels like a sonic descent into a subterranean warehouse where the air is thick with ozone and the heat of overdriven circuitry. The music is physically demanding, characterized by a relentless 4/4 pulse that refuses to yield, layered with textures that feel more like sandpaper and rusted metal than traditional synthesizer patches.

Moments Worth Listening For
The moment the kick drum finally resolves into a distorted square-wave bassline three minutes into the opening track.
The sudden introduction of a high-pitched, oscillating synth siren that cuts through the mid-range mud halfway through the record.
The way the percussion becomes increasingly bit-crushed and unstable during the final track's climax.
Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does Black Gloves sound next to the rest of MSTRKRFT's catalogue?

Existential+1.2σ

The writing leans notably further into existential than the rest of the catalogue.

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