Lifeforce – Metallic States 04

Now on their fourth EP, both artist and label lean fully into a potent evolution of trance music, threading classic Goa and Psy elements with up-to-date production and techno-forward structures. It’s an exciting expansion from this French producer that pulls the genre into a harder, more contemporary light. Side-A opens with ‘Lifeforce’, a tight, muscular trance cut, a techno groove driving it forward while spacey atmospherics and a superb drum production create a cinematic tension. ‘Aaahh’ is into tribal terrain, with hypnotic rhythms and psychedelic themes that flirt with Goa excess but remain grounded by the techno groove. On the other side, ‘Bells Ceremony’ goes full sci-fi by creating a celestial melody that loops over psychedelic pulses. Closer ‘Droiture’ is the outlier, but in the best way: a sudden pivot into IDM territory with the broken beats and fragmented melodies. It adds depth and contrast, ending the EP on a contemplative, glitchy and eerie note. A rich, exploratory record that that pays homage to trance’s legacy but forges a path to a more timeless sound.

Lifeforce – Metallic States 04