Ball of Wax 68 Songs: Al Mustaqil – “What we’ve just lost (Dub version)”

“What we’ve just lost (Dub version),” an instrumental piece by Al Mustaqil, is digital maximalism: idea stacked upon idea with frantic synth sounds weaving around a glitchy, intermittent sequenced beat that leaves little space for silence or ambience. The opening lead synth hit gives way to a rapidly approaching rumble of programmed drums, static, and guitars so digitally distorted as to have seemingly peeled right off of Pretty Hate Machine. The programmed drums begin to stutter, than advance, then retreat amid shards of heavily delayed sine and saw waves. Is it syncopation or curated glitch? Either way the result is unsettling and weirdly invigorating, an android dance tune haunted by paranoia.