SSAC42 by Bios Contrast & Nilotpal Das

Listening to Bios Contrast–aka Nilotpal Das’--SSAC42 for the first time might be likened to the experience of watching sunlight shimmering on the surface of a body of water. There is an effortless spontaneity, a mesmerizing ebb and flow. There is a movement which continually reminds us of itself. We are drawn in without needing to understand why. Curiosity takes hold—not a ‘question-driven’ curiosity–but a quiet immersion in the unfolding moment. It feels familiar, but distant; intimate, yet undeniably alien–the more we surrender to it, the more it transforms. We do not give our attention so much as we permit ourselves to drift along. With each passing moment, we are captivated anew, drawn into the throes of unexpected emotion.

The sonic world of SSAC42 seems to pull influence from various forms of electronic music on the fringes. We hear rapid, intricate drum patterns. We feel the warmth of synth textures, the soft glow of ambient pads collapsing gracefully into themselves. The airy vocals of K_anti play a significant role–gliding in over arrangements at unforeseen moments, bringing us closer to something vast and luminous. We never quite arrive, but feel as though we’re always approaching. The tracks are melodic without being grounded in melody. They coalesce, fracture, and reform. A pattern begins, and vanishes, swiftly replaced by something else entirely. Time loses shape; moments of breathtaking stillness recline over fierce drum sequences.

This warping of time is notable in the first track “everyth1ng 1n l1fe”, where soft atmospheric elements churn slowly above chaotic jittering drums. The juxtaposition stirs, generating an ongoing tension that is never resolved. Ethereal, washed out vocals pull us further into weightless expanse. Lush moments build up and transfigure, revealing new forms with each phrase. The second track “EXT10” takes us further into moments of unanticipated wonder. Through the turbulence, shifting elements are not mourned as they pass, but welcomed; we do not question their departure—we move forward with them.

The third composition, “dysph0r1a” opens with a clear vocal presence. K_anti’s tender delivery occasionally rises above the evolving terrain of synths—fleeting, decipherable, then submerged once again. Later on, the sixth track “ap0calypse 42” carries us through a striking arc: from softness to percussive fury, and back into calm. The transformation is tumultuous, but also cyclical—destructive and restorative in turn.

The shapeshifting quality of the album can feel disorienting. Just as we find comfort and predictability, it dissolves. Familiarity is teased, and withdrawn. Perhaps it is in this instability that the core of SSAC42’s potential lies. As the unending search for meaning in our human lives is consistently upended and reimagined, SSAC42 seems to quietly posit that moments of solace will reveal themselves amid the chaos; wonder and enchantment persist if we are willing to stay open.

Record Label based in Mexico City.
Founded in Montréal, Est. 2011

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