Symbols's video: Bulma - Legion

Bulma - Crime Scene (SMBL051) bulma.lnk.to/crimescene Having already featured the works of demonically-minded artists WWWINGS, DJ Heroin and hnrk, Symbols welcomes Brussels-based Bulma into the fold for a dynamic, high tension label debut. Comprised of three club-forward efforts, Crime Scene sees the French producer take his already intense sound to its logical extreme, contorting existing club tropes into fascinating, often grotesque new shapes. Having previously released on web-focused outlets like WDIS and Cult City, Crime Scene further solidifies his kaleidoscopic approach, which takes in a range of contemporary hardcore musics and flips them completely on their head. Take for example the EP closer “Unity”, a disorienting medley of trap drums, metallic breathing and a sample that proposes Future as gutteral-yelping metal vocalist. It’s rhythm forward and dense, invoking cataclysmic change without forgoing the necessary dancefloor motions. “Ronin” takes a similar approach, full of razor-edged synths, disembodied vocals and ratcheting arrangements that all but drop out for entire passages. “Legion” eschews the peaks and valleys of the other two tracks, a battle-ready number that would have been primed for the war dub frenzy of late 2013. Of course, Symbols fans will be prepared for the onslaught, a continuation of the label’s exploratory dive into the depths of sci-fi club forms.