»mantle« is already pixel's fourth release on raster-noton since his debut in in 2003 and a further exploration of his approach to rhythm-driven, electronic music.
the overall atmosphere, which is produced by the fragile but nevertheless complex sounds, is gloomy and quite threatening. deep, pulsating basses are accompanied by ominous and fierce tones which emerge like flashes of light or shock waves, giving the impression of being warning signals, and the few calm moments of the tracks are constantly disrupted by dark drowns.
if this is the future, it will not be very bright. but all the precisely generated sounds, which seem to be produced by industrial machinery, are by no means lifeless. actually it seems like the automats are tuned to funk, resulting in a polyrhythmic, driving and impulsive composition one cannot escape from.
