Hypermagic - "Saucebox"
(Everything Is Chemical 2013)
"[It] seeps into your ear canal, and circulates through your bloodstream."
Remember that one science experiment you did at school when you were 10 years old? No, I don't mean the baking soda and vinegar volcano; I'm talking about the goo. Using Borax and glue, you made a slimy mixture that was liquid when left alone, but turned solid when it was handled. Such is the case with "Saucebox", the new single from London's Hypermagic. If you listen to it too closely, it could seem like an impenetrable wall of jelly-like sound. If you sit back and let the music do its job, it liquefies, seeping into your ear canal and circulating through your bloodstream. The futuristic Gregorian chant that is "Saucebox" becomes its own organism, the rhythmic bass pulses beneath a reverbed, wordless mantra acting as a heartbeat. Think of the sort of sonic black holes that Sigur Ros spin like cotton candy. This is a gorgeous track.
The B-side to this virtual 7" is "Astrosurfing", which sounds a little more traditionally structured than its companion. Brittle flourishes of guitar are lofted into the air like signal flares, tumbling through the night sky. Out of nowhere, seething sprays of noise try to escape through your speakers to no avail. Yet again, it's another brilliant song. "Saucebox" is a commendable effort, and one of the better singles I've heard so far this year. Listen to it below.
