Microchip Terror : Illegal Experiments 2
A worthy sequel to his excellent 2018 industrial darkwave debut album, Illegal Experiments 2 continues Microchip Terror’s deep dive into post-apocalyptic cyber horror, with arpeggiated synth freakouts, heavy blast beats, and even a tinge of existential introspection. Carrying forward its predecessor’s eerie atmosphere of dread, his undated sound fills the imagination with the terrors of a System Shock-esque world – with B-movie body horror and haunted Nintendo cartridges alike. Although Microchip Terror does toe the line at times with its unapologetically retro synths, Illegal Experiments 2 manages to find a balance of fun without landing into cheesy territory.
Circuitry of Doom, Terror Bites Again and Mechanical Gore are bangers that rev up the momentum. an accompaniment of unnatural gore and exasperated escape with its heavy synth riffing and driving double-pedal drum work and breakbeats. Standout track AL-245 brings groove-laden dance sensibilities alongside robotically vocoded vocals and guttural screams (“Help! Just let me go!”) - a juxtaposition mirroring the brutally synthetic world the album paints a picture of. Finally, tracks like Rusty Angels, on the other hand, leave listeners with some breathing space – as they bask in the little hope left in its depraved world, contemplating the album’s existential horrors.
The album’s final two tracks do feel a little out of place, breaking Illegal Experiments 2’s immersive listening experience. Nevertheless, they still stand strong as individual songs, best seen as bonus tracks rather than a continuation of the album’s narrative. Circuitry of Doom (Drumcorps Remix) is a thoroughly enjoyable remix with breakcore sensibilities, Myrtle Wyckoff (Love Spread Cover) is a touchingly faithful tribute to bitcode duo LOVE SPREAD - whose member Ryota passed away in 2018. Admittedly, Microchip Terror’s sound may still feel like an anomaly amongst the rest of Singapore’s electronic music scene – but with Illegal Experiments 2, he proves that this mad doctor still has plenty of twisted tricks up his sleeve.