Brighton-based trio plantoid transport listeners off-world in their new lead single, “Ultivatum Cultivation”
plantoid seemed to have unlocked an otherworldly skill within their music; whilst listening to “Ultivatum Cultivation” I felt transported to a cosmic venue, a gig on another planet. It’s a sonic mosaic, assembled from psychedelic jazz and prog rock, cleverly using samples, effects and synths to shade an eerie, alien atmosphere. Completely immersed in the song, I found it captivating to listen to, with every run-through you pick up on something new.
“We wanted to sit in the music for a while, make a mood out of it rather than changing it up so quickly. We wanted to develop ideas to their fullest extent.” — plantoid.
This statement is absolutely true in “Ultivatum Cultivation”. There’s atmosphere manipulation created through angular, awkward chord progressions, captured especially in the hypnotic harmonies. These skewered vocal melodies are made up of staccato, monotone flats punctured by soaring jumps, leaving you daring to ask, what’s next?
Alongside this are irregular, warped, extra-terrestrial modulations as synths phase in and out, creating spacey pockets of texture that truly make it feel as though you’re exploring the cosmos. It’s almost a psychedelic trance if it weren’t so grounded in rock.
An always present, always slightly incomplete riff underlines the track; a dissonant, distorted bass that haunts the low end throughout the song. This sits comfortably with the repeated drone of the drums. If it weren’t for these grounding elements of rock, the song might’ve drifted into a dimension of abstraction and experimentalism.
“Ultivatum Cultivation” is the third revealed track from plantoid’s upcoming album, Flare. The rest of the album follows on 30th January, released by Bella Union – who coincidentally also represents deary, who’s new single “Seabird” we’re currently obsessed with at DNü!
plantoid’s “Ultivatum Cultivation” prises open cracks in the ordinary with the arrival of this bold and groovy, experimental style.
Stream “Ultivatum Cultivation” below:
