Timeslave II by Only Now

‘Timeslave (II)’ sees Kush Arora’s Only Now project return with renewed intensity, in the sequel to the formative Infinite Machine release ‘Timeslave (I)’.

After the groundbreaking hybridity of the debut volume in the ‘Indian Unclassical’ series, the emphatic riddim-focused explorations of dancehall, bashment, and drill found on the Club Yeke EP ‘Vision’ – released under Arora’s own name – and select live dates alongside the likes of Andy Stott, Debit & Nyege Nyege-affiliated metal pioneers Duma, ‘Timeslave (II)’ finds Arora invigorated by aesthetic variation and constructive collaboration.

Enlisting renowned, specialist percussionists including Iggor Cavalera (co-founding member of Sepultura), Dave Sharma (Sub Swara) & Ravish Momin aka Sunken Cages, Arora adds symbiotic fuel to the fire, infusing the resonant, largescale sound world of the Only Now project with raw, frenetic insurgencies of virtuosic instrumentation.

Set within devastating productions that venture into graphic drone, hyperkinetic drum sequences, dub ruination (‘I Am Remembering’), writhing, cataclysmic noise (‘Shiv – Vengeance 2’, ‘EVP Inversion’), and even, degraded, introspective doom metal interludes (‘Endless Defeat’), the restless rhythms of Arora’s collaborators add unprecedented dimensions to the resolutely dynamic material of the Only Now project.

Consistent with the vigorous soundclash eclecticism found throughout the output of Arora, and especially in the case of Only Now, ‘Timeslave (II)’ is situated on an expansive spectrum that incorporates an array of divergent presences, one that acknowledges the abrasive, absorbing atmospheres of Zoviet France and Sleep, the ritualism of Senyawa, the high geared delirium of DJ Marfox and the Príncipe Discos crew, as well as the enterprising energies and pluralities of the Asian underground and South Asian club scene.

Continuing the supreme form and uncompromising approach of recent years, Arora distils the diverse foundations and ever-changing influences of Only Now on ‘Timeslave (II)’, delivering a scintillating conception that mirrors the striking visuals of the artwork, created by German artist Karmazid. In this sense, Arora unveils another portal into the consuming shadow and overload of Only Now, where movement and materiality is dictated by unique laws of mutation, fracture, and evolution.

Only Now is the time.
Music by Kush Arora

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