Artificial System is a new alias of a producer I know simply as Sanjay, a former member of Extended Family – a mid / late `90s outfit who signed sides to “cult” UK dance labels, such as Auto and Dr. Bob Jones’ Quick Release. They’re probably best remembered for the brilliant breakbeat adventure of Ulysses, which was picked up by Damon Havlin’s PAN (an offshoot of Play It Again Sam, I think), and received a rocking DJ Harvey remix. Then, as now, Sanjay worked closely with mysterious disco-not-disco don, Frank Milan. 

Living In Timeless Space is a fresh 4-track E.P., described as a collection of “interdimensional excursions”, where Access Point is a collage of drones and sampled dialogue. A glitched, alien environment, like a criss-crossing of eavesdropping surveillance streams. Within it, snatches, snippets of crowd noise, what might be gunshots, and distant sirens, suggest an impending emergency. 

Diamonds & Drugs is a digi-dub mutation. Its plodding, programmed beat, and low frequency oscillations resulting in rude, room-shaking reverberations. Amid the layers of vivisected vocals are electric elephant-esque roars. 

The short interlude, EX-F Transmission, channel hops between crackly short wave radio signals. Its phase-generated rhythm, a hum, a growl, like a faulty helicopter rotor. 

The title track opens with more dystopian Sci-Fi synths and effects – a swirling intro of alarm bells and broken news broadcasts – a wall of ambient noise, an aurally altered state, and then brings in a bold bass arpeggio and a stomping, stamping, big-booted beat. A trippy Timothy Leary-like voice intones “I think I’ve been here before… I can’t tell if this is now or then”, and the piece is propelled, chugging, out of the darkness and toward the light. Shedding its obsidian shackles. Great guitar work, courtesy of Chris Lamp, gives the gear a groovy dancefloor kosmische edge. Like Ashra at the disco, on steroids. 

Artificial System’s Living In Timeless Space can be purchased directly from Bandcamp.