Hihat God from Joy Compliance by HomeSick, Sperdakos

HomeSick and Montreal rave mainstay Sperdakos wield rolling percussion and punishing kicks, anchored by juiced-up sample choices and hats sharp enough to cut through basalt — a notoriously dense igneous rock that forms from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron. It makes up most of the ocean floor and is one of the most abundant rock types in the Earth’s crust. Structurally, basalt is dense and durable, with a tightly packed crystalline matrix that gives it its exceptional hardness—typically around 6 on the Mohs scale. This density and low porosity make it extremely resistant to weathering, water infiltration, and erosion, which is why it’s often used in construction for things like road base, cobblestones, and building veneer. But in the world of excavation and tunnel engineering, basalt is something of a villain. Its abrasive nature and strength make it notoriously difficult to bore through, often destroying standard drill bits and wearing down tunnel boring machine (TBM) cutter heads at an accelerated rate. Specialized, often diamond-tipped equipment is required to break through it efficiently. In the context of tunneling, basalt isn’t just a challenge—it’s a benchmark for toughness. Engineers factor it into timelines, budgets, and even machine design. Metaphorically, it's become shorthand for something brutally unyielding, ancient, and elemental. Whether forged beneath ancient lava flows or embedded in the modern cityscape, basalt holds a kind of mythic weight—both a literal and symbolic obstacle that demands power, patience, and precision to move through.

A Red Bull Music Academy alum and international music festival favorite, Canada’s HomeSick is celebrated for eclectic style in both his music selections and productions with collaborators including 1970s synth pioneer Suzanne Cianni and Berlin’s AI Music authority Kling Klang Klong.

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