Cortisol (Mod) [CD]

Cortisol by EbE404 - the execution of empathy and the path outward. Cortisol, the new continuous play LP from Minneapolis-based post-industrial maven EbE404 is comprised of nine disquieting long-form, minimalist, drone, noise, and power ambient pieces. A statement on the attention economy and the ongoing horror that metastasizes as we twist and soak in it, Cortisol is an unsettling, abrasive headphone odyssey replete with reverb-soaked, multi-layered atmospheres and ever-so-slight rhythmic elements. The album deploys dense textures of desolate landscapes, worlds, and mental states, while EbE404 displays their production prowess with intricate spatial mixing, interacting frequencies, phase manipulation, and other techniques that add subtle animation to turn Cortisol's tones into living, breathing organisms. Echoing the dark ambience of their lauded 2020 debut Tedium and Loss, their new effort exhibits immense depth and growth throughout.