I have a taste for darker rhythms. The way I generally describe my audio proclivities is, “I like music that has some teeth.” Sounds that are a bit heavier by design, carrying weight and meaning beyond mere pretty melodies. Like a producer is searching the deepest corners of their soul’s abyssal chasms for inspiration to infuse into their soundtracks. It doesn’t make it any less beautiful when it’s dark. In a way, it makes it all the more precious to me. You’re taking something buried deep below the surface and producing it for others so that they may see a part of you that you keep reserved. That’s profound, and that’s how I like my music.
About a week ago, Das Mörtal’s camp forwarded me his latest compilation of work, Origins EP, originally released on October 17. Needless to say, with a name like Das Mörtal, my interest was piqued. That’s one of the perks of this position; I get exposed to a lot of new artists and different takes on genres of electronica that I wouldn’t otherwise. What’s the album sound like, and what are my feelings? I’ll get into that and sharing my thoughts on three of the seven tracks in just a moment, but first, let me detail a bit of my discovering about Das Mörtal.
Das Mörtal, aka Cristóbal Cortes, is a Montreal based electronic music producer and DJ. Born in Santiago, Chile, the Das Mörtal alias entered reality during his time spent in Berlin. His productions are a synthesis of multiple genres and mediums like techno, Italo Disco, occult electronica, horror, and science fiction soundtracks. There are many who label this producer as mysterious, inscrutable, shadowy, and cryptic for his focus on producing arcane and wistful sounds. Personally, I find it refreshing. Within certain genres of electronica, many artists inevitably produce tracks that sound similar. Not purposefully, it’s merely parallel thinking most of the time. Morphogenic resonance, the idea that memory is inherent in nature, with similar patterns influencing subsequent ones across time and space. Das Mörtal is very much an artist cut from his own distinct pattern, and I have yet to discover any others who model his sonic presentations. Give it time. His influence is spreading.
Das Mörtal’s Origins EP, when shared with me by his team, was described as dark Synthwave. Immediately I thought of legendary horror director John Carpenter, creator of the Halloween franchise and 1982’s, The Thing (My absolute favorite horror film). For those that don’t know, movie director John Carpenter is also a producer of music. His genre of choice? Synthwave, and it’s pretty fucking good. So is Das Mörtal’s Origins EP. Containing seven tracks, it harbors shadowy and foreboding vibes. I’ll focus on three of them, ‘Minimal Chainsaw’, ‘I Just Want to Hold You’, and ‘Satan’s Hand’. Seriously, there is a rancorous and sinister vibe that is prevalent throughout this entire album, which I appreciate, and I feel it to be intentionally so.
‘Minimal Chainsaw’ feels inspired by a slasher flick. It’s a high energy beginning to the EP that starts with the sound of a chainsaw ripping before a pulsing and pounding techno style beat takes over. As I’m listening, I imagine Jason Voorhees of the Friday the 13th franchise rising from the depths of his submerged grave within Camp Crystal Lake and grabbing a carelessly placed chainsaw to go on a murderous rampage. There’s even a vocal sample during the track that states, “You don’t make a slasher movie without killing a few people along the way.”
‘I Just Want to Hold You’ is a really sweet track, presented in two parts, that reminds me of the feelings endured when we’re in long distance relationships. Oh, you’ve never been in one? WELL, GOOD FOR YOU BUD!!!! For the rest of us, when your unrequited love is oh so far away, you want nothing more than to be able to wrap your arms around them and hold them close for an eternity and more. Being apart feels torturous (stupid feelings), and talking by phone and handwriting loving letters is a pale substitute for the euphoria you feel having them by your side. Euphoric is a great way to describe this song, like a slick and sleek 80s soundtrack complete with excursive synths and a determined pulse. Das Mörtal tailors Italo Disco to craft a track that listens like a searing, mercurial anthem that cherishes the ones we love. Wait, I’m the only one still handwriting letters? Cripes, no wonder I often feel all by myself in our current age of technological wonderment.
‘Satan’s Hand’ is probably my favorite track from this album. I mentioned earlier that Das Mörtal has a penchant for synthesizing multiple genres and this particular techno synthwave production feels perfect for a science fiction horror epic. As a matter of fact, as I’m writing these words right now, I’ve got the track on repeat to elicit imagery in my head. I’m transported back to my youth and playing Star Control II, a computer game of galactic exploration where you battle the oppressive Ur-Quan and Kohr-Ah forces while trying to unite other alien races to your peaceful cause. ‘Satan’s Hand’ connotates a portrayal of dark and sinister forces peering through a veil between dimensions, biding time to take control and ultimately never give it back. It feels like a perfect score to introduce a chaotic, devious species of creatures hell-bent on distributing pain and wreaking death and destruction. Besides this implication, ‘Satan’s Hand’ is a beautiful blend of bounding synths and techno beats that gets my head nodding and shoulders bobbing.
Das Mörtal’s Origins EP released on October 17 and is available for streaming on all major music platforms. If you’d like to learn more about Das Mörtal, or follow him on socials, you can find him on Facebook, SoundCloud and Instagram @dasmortal.
Be well, be successful. Bear Swiftly.
–Electro Scribe–
