- Forbidden Planet's music and artwork are immersed in overlapping themes of grotty techno, dystopian sci-fi and body horror. On 12-inches whose tracks have shown a similar range, Jurg Haller's label has shone. FP-003, a split EP of '90s breakbeat and hiss-swept house, and 2013's Breakin', whose epic techno tracks seemed curdled, are among Forbidden Planet's most charismatic releases. Lumpex's FP-010 has a narrower focus. The ominous synths and primitive drum kit of the EP's four tracks summon techno, new beat and Front 242-style industrial, a combination that dazzles on "Metro."
The symmetry of Lumpex's material dulls its sharpest edges, but the EP can still cut deep. On "The Purge," he daubs techno with elemental tones, including bubble sounds and gassy synth emissions. "Heretic Chant," another track with a sour, aqueous feel, mimics glossolalia with vowels that are coiled and tangled like a telephone cord. Lumpex's inventive use of small-scale sounds is sometimes undermined by the frequent use of another: open, 909-ish hi-hats, whose impact fades with repetition. That's also true of FP-010, but its raw power impresses in small doses.
TracklistA1 Metro
A2 The Purge
B1 Heretic Chant
B2 Noc