James Whipple's second full-length as
M.E.S.H. isn't quite as steely and jagged as his ruthless debut album,
Piteous Gate, nor as propulsive as his more club-focused EPs such as Damaged Merc and Scythians. It's an uneasy mixture of dark, fragmented sound design and abstracted drums, sometimes appearing to be in direct competition with each other. Opener "Neomorum Incola" is an unsettling collage of glitch waves, bird chirps, and buzzing insects, with a few whirring cameras hidden in the trees. "Mimic" is much more direct, with a knocking, bongo-driven beat and grimey synths, but it falls apart halfway through -- the rhythmic drive gradually melts away, retaining only shreds of the other sounds.
Whipple often gets categorized as "deconstructed club," and this track practically seems like an instructional guide on how to deconstruct club music. "Search. Reveal." amps up the suspense with clicking, increasingly complex drums, a voice repeating the track's titular phrase, and a paranoid, siren-like synth tone. "Coercer" has lush, nocturnal synth pads drowned out by viciously growling bass and a ticking beat. "Signal Ride Drum" is easily the album's most hair-raising piece, with an intense beep weaving its way through shredded, frantic beats that seem suspended in midair. Sharp and full of panic, it mimics the sensation of not being able to escape impending danger. Even if
Piteous Gate was more abrasive overall,
Hesaitix ends up being more challenging, never giving away any easy answers and causing the listener to listen deeper.