REVIEW: Transmoderna EP

While we've been watching afar from Down Under, the European party island of Ibiza has willfully succumbed to the 'fracture, frisson and funthasma' of an immersive and experiential transmutation.

Alongside the help of collaborators and conspirators, and very much like his Grand Theft Auto debut, it feels like Dixon has created a new virtual reality. However, unlike GTA, you don't need to stream the experience, but instead, you actively become part of the Transmoderna nights' 'hyperreality'.

Eccentricity has always been a part of Pacha's forte, but not quite like it's been employed through every aspect of Dixon's 20-week Friday night residency. Sprawling visuals and cyber optics enticed partygoers to channel the ‘hyperreality’ by engaging with interactive environments through movement. No doubt, like a moth to a flame, Dixon's well-documented taste for the more left-of-centre flavours, has led him to employ a unique team of creatives that cover everything from graphic and interior designers to lighting engineers. With each entity contributing to this immersive and holistic experience, it was clear from the outset that music was only one of many components of Transmoderna’s modus operandi.

In that spirit, Dixon has curated a 4-part Transmoderna EP with producers who performed at the Ibizan residency. Âme, Mathew Jonson, Echonomist, Trikk, Frank Wiedemann and Roman Flügel, are all undoubtedly entrenched in their passion for the more avant-garde, and here they have teamed together for an Innervisions EP that is, unsurprisingly, of the highest of standards. 

Âme (both members) and Mathew Jonson’s track, ‘Transmoderna’, mirrors the very sound the residency seamlessly radiates. The two artists first collaborated on a live jam session last year at the Innervisions’ Barcelona show, where they bonded over a new-found discovery of their rhythmic match. Both known for their soothing synth patterns, 'Transmoderna' is their first official release together, and as the coupling would suggest, it works a treat. Blurring the lines between A.I. vocals and high-frequency strings, the rhythmic distortions inhabiting this song work collectively with the low end to make this much techier than most Âme releases.  It is spellbinding, electronic and not the least bit predictable, and the sublime chords and thunderous basslines will produce countless future dancefloor moments. No wonder it is named after the night and also acts as the EP's lead single.

Frank Wiedemann features again on ‘Tears on the Dancefloor’ alongside fellow German DJ, producer and Innervisions friend, Roman Flügel. This cut is a personal favourite, purely due to the space it creates for both melancholic melodies and deep heavy synths to coexist. The butter-smooth progression and landscape peaks and troughs feel journey-like, adding to the emotion that runs through the veins of the song. Chilling chord patterns work to induce goosebump suspense and alluring movement, while post breakdown the laser synths help to tie it back into the Transmoderna ethos.

The slowest track on the EP, yet no less captivating, is Echonomist’s ‘Back to Mine’ which combines hissing cymbals with a chiming synth melody and rich arpeggio. This lays a neat foundation for a meditative rhythm which should find appeal with both tech and minimal enthusiasts. The echoing pulse of the song’s melody and its structured progression inspire illusions of Dixon’s signature, feather-like hand gestures elevating into the air - something we can be certain happened a fair bit during the Transmoderna season.

And finally, Trikk’s ‘Marazul’ mirrors the Innervisions sound fans crave so immensely. The power of reverberation, space and rhythmic patterns in this track creates a tornado-like vortex of soundscapes, taking listeners on an inescapable journey of overwrought suspense. With a climax that is no less heartfelt, images of morphing A.I. silhouettes are evoked and we are left fantasizing the experience of transcendence that those who took part in this Ibizan ‘experiment’ surrendered to

In an interview with Mixmag Dixon spoke about taking Transmoderna to new locations in 2020 to reimagine iconic party destinations just like Ibiza’s Pacha and transform them into an elevated form of escapism alike. Both the residency and EP have captured and moulded a futuristic zeitgeist, reinvented the parameters of clubbing and rendered an insight into how many components feed an immersive experience. I can’t wait for what’s next.