Second State's latest release is a special one: the debut LP from talented German producer Wigbert. Over the past decade, Wigbert has been forging a strong reputation as an inventive, versatile producer, skills that have seen him submit remixes for the likes of Gregor Tresher and Pan-Pot themselves, while achieving plenty of support from Dubfire, who has released a handful of Wigbert's EPs on his own SCI + TEC label.
Stepping up for his first full-length, Wigbert demonstrates why he's a firm favorite among so many. The "Distorted Matter" LP showcases his affinity for both atmospheric mood pieces and pummeling club cuts, the sign of a producer with more than one trick up his sleeve.
"Uncertainty" opens the album in an ominous tone. As its name suggests, it creates a feeling of unease, even horror, as macabre drones blare underneath bleepy arpeggios. Later on the LP, on "Error 404", this mood is revisited, with bleeps and static signifying that something has gone awry. The second track on the record, “Reflection” is its hardest hitting. Ice-cold stabs, a pumping kick and driving rhythms send the track into overdrive before creepy arps and drums come back in. It’s complex, layered and unrelenting.
"Night Vision" is threaded with warped off-kilter rhythms, while "Xcelerator" is charged with nervous energy, echo FX and prickling percussion. Other tracks on the LP share this latter mood, such as "Digital Mirroring", with its windblown synths, distorted vox and broken beats, while the title track heralds a different variety of sounds. The beats on it are also chunky, but the airy pads place it in a more ethereal category. "Drone Level" is similarly lighter in spirit, with arps shimmering over the sound of running water.
The rest of the LP continues in this is more pensive vein, with the rhythms of "Focus" loping under twinkling, reverbed synths, before "Transformed" closes the album in a delicate melange of dreamy pads, chopped up beats, and sounds that mimic insects and nature.
"Distorted Matter" is one of Second State's most sophisticated releases this year. We're delighted to present this considered debut from a star in waiting.
BONUS: The LP includes a bonus mp3 of the exclusive "Digital Mirroring - Matt Star Remix", which won't be released aynwhere else.
