Gatekeeper At Juno Download

Review: Not to be confused with the US-based, video nasty obsessed synth nerds of the same name, Bristol-based Gatekeeper's releases for the likes of Skull Disco and Punch Drunk have been few and far between but have always displayed a keen ear for progressive dubstep rhythms. This EP on Apple Pips is undoubtedly his sharpest to date - "Atmosphere Processer" utilizes a galloping breakbeat, a revving bassline and dusty synth pads for some proper Metalheadz meets contemporary Bristol vibes. "Let Us In" on the other hand is full of more suitably stripped back rhythms, but with a distinctly more dubbed out atmosphere coating its corkscrew bassline.

Review: With their debut LP Exo, Gatekeeper continue their endeavors to be viewed as "an immersive audiovisual experience" as opposed to a mere band. Much like Giza, their EP for Merok, was accompanied by a VHS tape of music videos rendered in 3D, the ostensible album format of Exo is part of a wider concept, with a purpose -built video game environment to accompany the music, with a different level for each track. Album opener "Imax" is aptly titled as the plush sound design whooshes around you like a quintessential pre-movie indent, begging to be flung across the room on a 5.1 surround sound system. From this brief intro Gatekeeper take you on a fast-paced romp through all manner of bold electronic styles. Still, that underlying nausea that comes from such a rush of information to your ears has an addictive quality that begs for high volume immersion. Whether this album stands strong independently of the video game analogies is debatable. The context is needed to justify the production pec-flexing, and does anchor the bombast of this kind of electronica. It's impeccably realized, and presented in the right way it will undoubtedly draw you into a world where sound and vision fuse seamlessly in your head