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Defender
Electronic · 2018

Defender

Simian Mobile Disco

Hypnotic modular synthesis meets the ethereal power of a female choir. A rhythmic, atmospheric journey that feels both ancient and futuristic.

April 25, 2018 · Wichita

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This isn't the sweaty basement SMD of the mid-2000s; this is the duo at their most architectural and spiritual. Defender sounds like a digital ritual performed in a cathedral. The core of the sound is the tension between the rigid, mathematical precision of Jas Shaw’s modular synth patches and the organic, breathing unpredictability of The Deep Throat Choir. It is a masterclass in contrast: the cold, silver lines of electronic sequencing are wrapped in the warm, velvet textures of human breath.

Moments Worth Listening For
the moment the kick drum finally stabilizes into a steady 4/4 pulse under the swirling vocal textures
the breakdown where the synths filter down to a low hum, leaving only the dry, unadorned voices of the choir
the driving, almost krautrock-esque modular sequence that slowly builds while the choir enters with haunting, overlapping harmonies
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 Defender sound next to the rest of Simian Mobile Disco's catalogue?

Harmonies+4.0σ

The vocals lean far further into harmonies than the rest of the catalogue.

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