Poverty Electronics Vol. 10 (2023) – Album Review

Album: Poverty Electronics Vol. 10

Artist: Poverty Electronics

Release Date: May 23, 2023

This compilation starts just like I like. sadfem’s “dark early” hits you with billowy liquid pads overlaying a warm bass’y undertone that nibbles at the soul. I guess the purpose of this compilation is to showcase artists, but really it just pisses me off that I wasn’t listening to any sadfem before this. The track, “Barb” by datewithdeath vs. Steve Flato hits the sweet spot of sampled, downbeat electronic glee. It evolves into a mess of 90s quasi-vaporwave. The focus shines bright on the experimental vibe of Carl Kruger‘s– “Stunt Clock“. It’s just divine – one of those tracks that’s hard to wrap you’re head around, because you know what genre it is and you know how it makes you feel, but you really don’t have a clue what the fuck is going on.

Our old friend all the stores are closed brings it full circle with the vibe of this album – like, I finally get. Honestly, after listening to this track I appreciate the previous tracks even more – there’s a theme of chipped up elasticity that I absolutely love and it carries over into JUICE MACHINE’s – the wild unknown until everything breaks down into chaos. What’s interesting is that odd person’s – cacia (live alternate) sounds like it’s having a conversation with JUICE MACHINE’s track. Lots of satisfying bleeps, and bloops with tension.

However, I was unprepared for Sergei Tumanov’s – I Whisper In Cycles. There’s lots of influences I hear in this track, but it’s probably better I keep them to myself. It’s just unsettling and filled with reverbed strings and distant screams that may or not be real. Love it. With {AN} EeL’s – Gathering Waves we’ve reached critical mass of making me uncomfortable, but I guess that’s the point. Lots of reverse delayed samples and old computer sounds, enough to trigger someone’s PTSD I’m sure. They’ve either seen some shitter or they’re an incredibly good bullshitter. I’m here for either.

But does it end there with the tension? Stormhat’s – Shiny tools hits you with a resounding, “NO.” Like the previous tracks, it’s like someone is creating something with the sole intention of making other people who are not initiated uncomfortable; or maybe that’s just a more profound commentary of my perception. vÄäristymä’s – Noidankehä brings the chaos back into focus, but it a satisfying way. It sounds like the sampled the afterlife and create a pop song for Ghouls. Your dead grandmother would love this shit. The album ends with Gave Myself to the Sea’s – Burn. It starts simple with noises you’d find around a domestic kitchen but then some asshole decides to read some incantation and it opens up this portal to the other side where when you walk through said portal, you can still hear the music on that other side – wherever that other side is.

This album is a perfect showcase for the label Poverty Electronics. Absolutely put it on your “to listen” list.