Preparations by FIS (Olly Peryman) is a record of immersion and depth, songs which while perhaps loosely rooted in the bass culture and sensibilities of the UK hardcore continuum, are ultimately an exercise in creation born from the studied emptiness at the heart of the meditative state.
Operating as a producer and DJ based from Wellington, New Zealand, with Preparations, FIS gives us four compositions which offer something very special and rare, the ability to hear rhythm and sound anew. Be it the Taonga puero referencing landscape of 'Magister Nunns' (a nod to Richard Nunns), the horrifying lurch of 'DMT Usher', the synthetic claustrophobia of 'Mildew Swoosh' or the maximalist noise atmospherica of 'CE Visions', each song offers us new pathways in the journey through hearing and physically experiencing sound.
Preparations isn't an easy listen. It's complex, demanding and unfamiliar. In counterpoint to this, it's emotional and evocative in a manner that electronic music often aspires towards, yet rarely obtains. As part of this, FIS rides the line between programmed and played feels to the point where they merge into one, presenting us with a soundworld which while living and breathing, is not quite of this world either.
