Tokyo-based electronic artist Fellsius, real name Kanta Sano, has released a new EP on Dome Of Doom. For the past five or so years, Fellsius has been putting out singles, remixes and EPs on Trekkie Traxx, Fools Gold and elsewhere. Now he brings his mind-bending electronic music to this five-track EP titled Mesa.
"L” gives you an idea of what this EP is and where it is going. At a young age, his father introduced him to Daft Punk, Underworld, Aphex Twin and Squarepusher, the latter two seemingly playing a crucial role in his production. After the quirky opener, Sano turns up the energy and tempo with the relentless “The Drum” that assaults your senses like a bright light in your face in the dark. The title fits with the many differing drum patterns that get smashed into this tune. “Show” is the longest of the bunch and quite the meaty middle. Horns introduce the track before it gets back to the drum work, though at a less frantic pace. There are moments when the bass drum hits that feels like marching down a street with a damn good drum line.
The bridges on “Bon” have a fancy feeling to it, like a black tie party, that then upgrades to a barrage of drums and two-stepping club rhythms. The finale leans into the Aphex Twin and Squarepusher influences with scattershot percussion and synths that often hang to one side of the mix or the other.
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Though some of the songs can feel claustrophobic, like you are in an elevator with the percussion whizzing around you, the idea of the title was supposed to reflect a vast landscape, slowly being changed over geological time.
"I like the sound of ‘Mesa’ in Japanese,” explains Fellsius. “And I wanted to give it a short and impressive title, so this was perfect. I also like the meaning of this word, a vast land that has been beautifully eroded by wind and water over a long period of time, as it represents a power beyond human comprehension."
Mesa is the anti-ketamine house project. The songs get right to it and are constantly evolving between drum patterns and melodies. The energy always remains high, but you can see just how varied his productions can be. Get your copy here.
