KONSTRUKT 007 by Serena Butler

Following the likes of Cassegrain, Doka and ASC, this is the seventh release on Konstrukt and the third EP from the enigmatic Serena Butler, maintaining the high quality level of her first two: Gynoids Dryads Swim Alone and From The Cloud To Our Bodies.

Opening with the submerged Deep Sea Dive, a darkly uplifting vibe takes hold, its bubbly electronic guitar riff and matching rhythm reflecting the joys of going down. Submerged Underworld continues this theme with its use of throbbing bass and gently soaring synths, creating an atmosphere of calm more effective than anything from Varg's last album.

The b-side takes an energetic swing left with We Are Adamantly Synthetic (a line from the Xenofeminisim paper) which uses an insistent melodic riff from an artificial-sounding bass guitar to produce a manufactured rush of endorphins.

Thought provoking closing statement When I Die I'll Go To Heaven Because I Served My Time In Hell speaks volumes for a track with no lyrics. In contrast with the sweetly ascending synths the muffled samples trigger visions of war and unrest, overhead gunfire and shouts of despair paint a scene of terror fitting for ongoing world events. In saying that, it could just as easily be a war-torn country as it could a nightclub ravaged by a gun-wielding extremist. Ironically, the real hell in question is probably a more personal one.

• Rating: 9/10
• Listens: 16
• Highlight: Submerged Underworld
• Label: Konstrukt
• Release Date: 3rd November, 2017