- Experimental club music to put you in a dreamlike state.
- Lara Sarkissian, otherwise known as FOOZOOL, is best known as a cofounder of the Oakland-based experimental club party Club Chai. The music released through its label has drawn from a huge pool of influences, united by an energy and approach that's hard to define. Sarkissian's effort follows 8ULENTINA's percussive and fast-paced Eucalyptus EP and the moodier SiS EP by Jasmine Infiniti, which were both released earlier in 2018.
Disruption showcases Sarkissian's distinctive style. Her sound revolves around non-Western samples, often paying homage to her Armenian heritage. She's previously worked on film soundtracks and the statement on Club Chai's Bandcamp that the EP is a "soundtrack to an imagined fictional film inspired by stories of Armenian mythology" nicely frames the EP. But even without reading that text, there's a cinematic drama in most of the tracks. There are heavy beats running through most of the EP, but it doesn't pound like some club music does. Instead, it seems crafted to induce a dreamlike state.
It's an inventive approach with mixed results. The droning opener, "A Ceremony (For Arax)" is pretty forgettable, but it's made up for by the next track, "Greeted by Tir (Տիր)," which layers a collage of beautifully eerie samples over an ominous kick drum. "Gnum" is even dreamier, thanks to the looped, echoey vocals sampled from an Armenian folk song. The standout track is "The Wave's Recountal." It's majestic and slow moving, built on heavy, procession-like drums. You can easily imagine it as the soundtrack to a fantasy film—or game, as someone demonstrated by putting it over a clip from the video game Destiny.
Tracklist01. A Ceremony (For Arax)
02. Greeted by Tir (Տիր)
03. Gnum Գնում (Going) feat. Margenrot
04. The Wave's Recountal
05. Tell Me, Where Do The Butterflies Live