Ya’ll, I can’t believe it, but I actually bought a cassette tape. On Bandcamp Friday. In March 2023. This makes no sense to me, especially since I’ve definitely gone on one too many rants that sound a little bit like this: “I can’t do this anymore, I already did the cassette thing, and the CD thing, and now the oh-so-occasional vinyl thing–and now cassette is coming back, and I–I just can’t keep doing this.”
Then along came Terminals, the new EP by Druid & Jok, out via Decaying Spheres at the beginning of the month…
And it was getting a physical release.
On cassette, of course.
Ugh.
The tape came in the mail the other day. and it hit me: I caved. I bought a cassette tape. I’m part of “the problem” now.
And, as anticipated, I have absolutely no way of playing it. .
So while I figure out how to play this thing (maybe I can borrow my dad’s Harley? Because that motorcycle is the only thing with a working cassette player I can think of), you go ahead and stream the EP on Spotify, below, or buy your own blast-from-the-past cassette tape over on Bandcamp.
Check out Terminals by Druid & Jok on Spotify:
Apparently we’re continuing our March theme of cinematic electronic music. I say that because Terminals isn’t just an EP, it’s a trip to an alternative reality so immersive that you almost feel like you’re there—wherever there is.
Through their music, Druid & Jok are masters of creating environments that one can “see” without having to actually see anything at all. It’s almost like they can paint with sound; if you close your eyes, your mind will fill in all the details, without ever needing a single visual cue.
I hope you’re prepared to strap in for the full duration of this gorgeous 7-track tape, because the trip is well worth taking.
Terminals: a deeper look.
Some of the standout songs on Terminals include the opener, “London Frequencies”, which sets us up well for a pleasant-yet-unnerving time. This song practically washes over you, engulfing you, in a way that’s easy to get lost in. But, at the same time, these ‘frequencies’ seem to be covering up something in the distance; it’s unsettling, but in a good way. It beckons us to continue listening, regardless.
Another favorite is “Fog”, which is a gentle, curious portion of the tape, that entices listeners to stray further from the relative safety of the path we’ve taken, because who knows what paradise we may find out there, just beyond the fog? Have you ever wondered where you might end up, if you simply just… let yourself get lost for a while?
“Skyline Envelope” sets up a storm that feels larger-than-life as it rolls and crackles overhead; this storm results in an outright downpour by the time we hit “Digital Rain”. In the end, this final track gives us a sense of grounding, of closure. It’s a perfect ending that leaves listeners feeling cleansed, refreshed.
Considering the fact that Druid & Jok wrote Terminals during the pandemic to “offer moments of reflection [on] the mournful scenes they experienced on the grey and gloomy mid-lockdown London streets”, I would say they did a phenomenal job of highlighting the bleakness of the situation, while still finding moments of beauty in the dystopic isolation.
About the artists:
Outside of composing their own productions, Druid and Jok established the label and monthly podcast ‘SYNES’ in late 2017, focused on pushing the future sounds of wave, grime and club music.
Keep in Touch with Jok:
Twitter | SoundCloud | Spotify
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