gens_abo is an Italian-born producer who specialises in the use of analog synthesisers and drum machines alongside digital recording techniques. This combination can be heard in full force on his latest release, gens_abo – Neural Odissey EP, a multifaceted four-track release on Italian independent label Natura Viva that encompasses dark, bass-heavy tunes as well as some lighter moments.
The opener A Dream certainly does justice to its title, starting off with breathy, otherworldly pads, surreal analog textures and subtle percussion. Eventually the track grows to include a heavy House beat, although the dreamlike feel remains throughout the entirety of its four-and-a-half-minute duration. Next up on gens_abo – Neural Odissey EP is Gliding Cannuccia, a more cerebral track that focuses on heavily distorted voices and a deeper, darker vibe. Its analog synths give off a heavy warmth that underpins the song, whilst beefy arpeggiated sounds increase the tension without sacrificing the track’s rhythmic textures. Closing the EP are the tracks Mutant and Valve Link, both of which continue the musical themes established by Gliding Cannuccia in that they feature fresh, danceable beats as well as a more sinister side to their sound. Mutant quickly changes from a minimal Techno-esque piece into something much more grandiose, living up to its title by constantly growing and evolving through the use of those hefty analog synth sounds again. The final track Valve Link – various parts of which sound as though they may have been influenced by ambient music – showcases a different side to gens_abo’s sound, allowing some calmer moments to break through the more intense segments like shafts of sunlight through the trees of a dense forest.
According to the artist himself, the gens_abo – Neural Odissey EP is intended to be “an experimental journey”, and you can’t deny that he has achieved this. Even across the relatively limited duration of four songs, he sends his listener on a voyage through different musical themes and genres, without ever sacrificing his blatant love for the textured warmth of analog electronics.
