DIAGONAL is run by POWELL. And Powell is one of the reigning powerhouses of interesting electronic music, his sound fully combining strains that have long resisted pure synthesis. And DIAGONAL is one of the most interesting electronic music labels out there. And NHK just put out a new record on DIAGONAL. It’s called HALLUCINOGENIC DOOM STEPPY VERBS, which is a horrible name for an album. Once I listened to the music, though, and then took into consideration that this is most likely the English translation of NHK’s native Japanese, I figured I could let it slide.

Acid-splattered rhythm freakery is about as pure a description as I can give for NHK’s offerings on this record. “A2 845” is a slithering 11-minute underworld workout. I think it’s making my ears and eyes burn with the endlessly changing colors of its relentlessness. Wanders away from the beat for quite some time, eventually returning of course. Love that. Bubbling Japanese dance floor sorcery. Lose your mind here.