Mitch von Arx

Pyramids

BY Luke PearsonPublished Sep 27, 2018

7
Recorded in London, UK after an epiphany in the Swiss Alps, Pyramids (a reference to the imposing mountains that served as inspiration) is the latest album of chiming, glitched-out techno from Mitch von Arx. Light on melody, but full of interesting textures and found-sound interpolations, it should work nicely in the club or in your headphones.
 
Although it's often hard to see the conceptual linkage between specific tracks and their titles (the latter came first apparently), there is an undeniably chilly vibe to this album redolent of the snowy majesty that inspired it; dance parties in icy caves and strobes hitting fresh powder flash through the mind's eye while grooving to Pyramids.
 
Especially interesting are some of the off-beat wind-chimey elements employed ("Blizzard" being the prime example), giving things a fuller, enveloping vibe that tempers the harsh, staccato synth stabs generally favoured.
 
One of the freshest and unique tracks is buried like an icy nugget at the album's centre, however — with its weird funkiness and goofy charm reminiscent of some of the odder IDM of the '90s, "Diamond Dust" should have us all thanking whatever glacial gem inspired it. There's nothing else on the album like it, and frankly more left-field fun like this could have gone a long way, as the one complaint about Pyramids is that it perhaps sounds a bit same-y by the end of things.
 
But if you like what's going here, there's plenty to like. Put this one at the top of your playlist next time you're hitting the slopes or strolling amongst the stalactites.
(Project: Mooncircle)

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