Grumpy techno IDM from: GEM_DOS – Curmudgeon
Some grumpy IDM from GEM_DOS which is a case for celebration. It’s been nine years since Irish born but South London based GEM_DOS was last here so I’m treating this post like the return of the prodigal son.
GEM_DOS says of himself “I am a south London based artist who makes electronic tunes with software, hardware and eurorack. I want the machines I use to sound like they have a soul.” He’s back with machines that have a tortured soul on new The Hurt And The Hatred EP.
The opening track is the splendidly titled Curmudgeon. A lovely old word dating back to the mid-1500s but of uncertain origin. It means bad tempered and negative, especially of an older man. That’d be me then. I’ve found my soundtrack.
Musically, Curmudgeon is wheezy machines and bad tempered beats. It’s all very dark IDM but when the synths arrive you know there’s more to it than that. It doesn’t want to be so despondent. There’s a little ray of sunshine wanting to escape in the trapped angel vocals.
Tortured souls this isn’t even though the track doesn’t deliver an optimistic ending. It’s not the writhing figures in Dante’s Inferno or even Rodin’s gates of Hell. This is much more human scale disappointment in and anger with the world as vocals fade and the beats continue to the end. And I think we can all relate to that sometimes. Welcome back GEM_DOS.
ACID TED 