Subterminal – Bitstreams
The only gripe I have with netlabels is that they are the sole reason I am going to have to fork out another 250 dollars to upgrade my ipod. At the start of this year, before I had discovered the concept of netlabels there was no way I was going to fill my 120gb ipod classic, and now, I am just short of the max limit for my current pocket music machine. While it will cost me to upgrade my ipod it is no secret that I have probably downloaded approximately 500 dollars worth of free netlabel music in the past 6 months, so in the end it kind of pays off.
Subterminal’s Bitstreams is one of the more recent additions to my overflowing ipod and is equally as challenging as it is provocative. Challenging in a sense that the music and atmosphere created throughout the album is dense, hungry and oft-times dark in nature. The electronics pulsate and reverberate off every space around you, attaching itself to the soundscapes that Subterminal creates for the listener. The music is filled with harsh sounding instruments, the guitar in No More is hit with little sense of care, but remains strikingly appropriate for the message being whispered at you by Subterminal.
Leonardo Rosado, the man behind the controls turns to the spoken word format in accompanying his wide range of musical abilities. Mantras are thrown about touching on presence of being, understanding ourselves within a context of time and space and the influence of new technologies within the human dimension. It is philosophically, metaphorically and existentially dense, and it rewards those who pay attention. Despite the aggression there is also beauty present, I Float closes with light in the last few seconds and Simultaneously channels middle eastern influences with a digitized baritone saxophone. A highly accomplished work by a highly accomplished musician. Download this release from the Test Tube netlabel, go on, your Ipod will thank you for it.
Whatever Takes Your Fancy 