Hailing from the Greek island of Crete, the mysterious duo known as Thee Koukouvaya deliver a solid electric pulse that is both compositional and danceable on their debut full-length.
This Is the Mythology of Modern Death explores the many modes of electronic music, from glacial ambiance to thumping dance music. “The Magnetic State” kicks things off with a dreamy cloud of krautrock drone, building to the lumbering industrial darkness of “Anacaona” before turning to tech-y old school four-on-the-floor with “Chicago Warehouse Party, 1995” and the glitching IDM of “Drunk Machine.” “40.207958, -74.041691” begins side two with a minute and a half of industrial noise, while “Phantoms in the Last Age” could be dubstep without the incessant wobble. “Prismatic Sun” successfully weaves all the aforementioned influences into five minutes, leaving “A Life in a Portolan Chart” to end it all on a relaxing, loungey note. It’s an electronic album that refuses to be pigeon-holed, but maintains a consistent mood to keep it all coherent.
Somehow, Thee Koukouvaya have bridged the gap between high-brow Berlin school aesthetics and low-end dance beats. Embrace their world and explore the endless possibilities of electronic music.
