Nagini – VoltageCtrlR (2025) – Album Review

Album: Nagini

Artist: VoltageCtrlR

Release Date: October 9, 2025

In a moment of creative weakness, I found myself looking for drum sounds for the Digitone II. I know, I know, I should just make my own. But, you see, I’ve been jamming and hanging out with my friend George, musically known as Rudiment, talking about the Elektron Machine Drum. To make a long story short, he was looking for a good drum machine and ended up with two Machine Drums and I was considering picking up the extra. The Machine Drum is “the one that got away” for me and, although I didn’t need it, by far, I had a bit of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) over that situation. But, in the end I decided that making a bunch of drum sounds on the Digitone II would be just as good and I won’t have to deal with gen one Elektron UI. 

So I started programming. The Digitone’s approach to FM Synthesis is fun and refreshing to me as a person who has gotten usable sound from the init patch on a Yamaha TX81Z. 

The upgraded machines, tools, and workflow on the Digitone II makes that way more enjoyable and intuitive. Even with all this convenience at my fingertips I had the thought that I could get a pretty good head start if I found somebody who already made a pack of Digitone II drum sounds so I went to the internet. 

There weren’t that many good drum focused packs to be honest. The Elektron site has some available, but I wanted something a little bit more niche, and that’s when I found VoltageCtrlR. 

VoltageCtrlR, also known as Shiro Fujioka, is a Modular Synth Composer, Hip-Hop producer, and Frequency Healer based in Los Angeles, California. 

Before I even got to the sound packs, I was drawn to this person‘s aesthetic, heavy Afrofuturist vibes, glitchy, sleek, sci-fi, beautiful abstract art.  All packaging for an impressive professional collection of sound design tools backed by real skill, talent, and knowledge of synthesis. Check out their site here.

Anyone that knows anything about me could tell from that phrase right away that I was looking into a mirror, I found a kindred spirit, so I immediately went to his Bandcamp page and listened to his most recent release, Nagini. 

This is a three song EP that was all performed live on 3 Elektron machines recorded in one take. For those who use these machines, you know that this is an impressive feat. In these three songs, you are taken into a brilliant Afrofuturist realm of polished and precise digital synths, finely crafted and chopped rhythms, and haunting hypnotic melodic patterns. 

This is a master class in IDM and Intelligent Drum & Bass. 

Nagini’s Nature starts the EP off with a mix of nostalgia for all of the good things to come out of these musical realms in the late 90s and early 2000s and nods to a future not yet realized. Strong, pre-dubstep, bass pads surrounded by light glitchy counter-melodies all perfectly molded around tight break patterns.

Followed by Rip Through Space and Time, this feels like the soundtrack to a cyberpunk chase scene. Super tight high hat rolls, wandering deep melodic synths, and a driving rhythm makes me feel like I am racing through KaVaRa after a run on Rahsua Corp. IYKYK 

The EP closes off with Magnetism Makes Motion, this track starts off a little bit more contemplative with smooth playful melodies but quickly builds up into a tight groove of pure forward motion. Drum focused with beautiful accompanying pads and synths and a heavy, post-modern hoover bass. 

All in all, this album sounds consistent and complete, showcasing VoltageCtrlR’s unique and relevant take on the genres of IDM, Intelligent Drum & Base, and Jungle. This is definitely recommended listening for any fans of Planet Mu, Warp Records, Analog Force, or Detroit Underground. 

All too often, I come across music in these genres that feels like a derivative of a derivative of a derivative, often completely stripped away from its original cultural lineage and source. 

VoltageCtrlR holds the torch. 

It is a treat to be alive in a time where I can hang out and make music with somebody like George, a founder and pillar of the PNW live electronic music scene, talk about Machine Drums, and have that lead me to discovering a forward thinking, Afrofuturist electronic musician who is someone I can hold as an inspiration, knowing that we are out here doing the great work.