Premiere: Death Qualia on Portals Editions

"Individual instances of subjective, conscious experience" reads the Wiki definition of qualia. In Latin, the term translates as something like "what sort" or "of what kind", tying into the idea that we could all have different experiences of what we refer to as the same thing. For example, what you perceive as blue, might be the same as what I experience as red even though we refer to them with the same language. Pop-philosophy aside, the latest release from Jonathan Baruc, aka 'Death Qualia' plays on themes we can probably all recognise as related to the eternal abyss.

The 'Intention Versus' 12" sees it's release on Berlin-based Portals Editions, a label run by Yair Elazar Glotman, Marijn Degenaar and Brandon Rosenbluth. Since their debut offering in 2014, Portals Editions have straddled the line between razor-blade techno, tectonic drone and doom metal. Little wonder is it then that Baruc finds such a good fit on the label, turning in a release which meets these criteria with deft ability.

The record clangs and scrapes forth, skin-crawling resonances and grinding thrusts of low-end. Moments of outright horror characterised by bone-shattering percussion, tension-doused harmonics and pressure-blasted ambience are offset by timid, headtorch-lit explorations into the unknown, endless chasms appearing every other footstep.

In advance of the record's release on March 17, we are very pleased to be able to share a premiere of the opening track, 'Circe Offering The Cup To Ulysses'. Pre-order available here.

• Published
• Mar 15, 2017

• Credits
• Words by Theo Darton-Moore