After a stunning release on We Are Friends Vol. 5, BlackGummy has turned loose his own EP titled Impactor. The high concept EP is made up of four tracks, chronicling the asteroid strike which led to the KT extinction. Yeah, the one that killed the dinosaurs along with three-quarters of the Earth’s species…
BlackGummy has a lot to say about the similarities between the KT extinction and the electronic dance music scene, mainly how an external force like this asteroid made such an impact on the planet’s environment, and likening that effect to the development of technology. He says the asteroid “caused a lot of death and destruction,” but he also believes it is primarily responsible for the evolution of those species that survived, leaving a lasting impact on the Earth’s ecology.
“I think electronic music has been going through a similar change over the past 10 years. Instead of it being an asteroid that caused the massive change, it’s technological advancement in the production of music. With DAWs and computers being more powerful than ever and VSTs that have been and are still being created for so many different functions, doors are being opened to the creation of music and sounds like we’ve never heard. Like the increase in evolution after the KT event, innovation in dance music has spurred because of this external force.”
And with that, Gummy starts off the EP with “Incoming,” a vicious dose of progressive house that sets the tone for this monumental impact. A driving kick underscores a precise lead synth, shrugging off atmosphere as it encounters celestial resistance on its planet-bound journey.
“Descent” chronicles the next phase of the cataclysmic event, sporting a metalloid reverb as gargantuan as the mass itself. The arrangement is ominous, frightening even, but the precise execution leaves us in suspense for “KT,” which brings us to the next track. A cinematic introduction that drops into an effective, destructive, and concise understanding. We won’t ruin the ending provided by “Adaptive Radiation,” but check out the EP’s final act below.
BlackGummy’s Impactor EP is available now via iTunes.
