Body Beat Ritual Drops 'Deplatformed' EP

Aotearoa EBM artist Body Beat Ritual aka Alex K has dropped a four track collection named after its lead single 'Deplatformed', released via his brand new imprint Pleasure. Accompanied by a link to an essay about depersonalisation and the internet, Deplatformed is equally as dense and disquieting – taut electronics punctuated by indecipherable distorted vocals. Even more raw, pulsing, and hypnotic than BBR's debut Mortal Sin EP, you can stream Deplatformed including a remix of the title cut created by Berlin / Tāmaki Makaurau producer Keepsakes below. The enigmatic North Island artist reflected on his EP's literally fiery origins...

“Deplatformed was the lead track from my planned EP Cancel Culture, which was influenced by this strange moment we're experiencing where creative content is being increasingly polarised. I sent the Deplatformed demo to a DJ in Berlin and by chance the next day her account was removed from Instagram for breaking community guidelines.

A few days later the fire destroyed my studio. There was a strange moment when I felt an artist can be removed from the world very easily, either by having the tools to create destroyed or the platform they use to promote themselves removed without warning. Luckily I got out with a couple of pieces of equipment and not much else and the DJ in question had her account restored.

Control is an illusion for artists in particular and a lot of what allows us to create, how we’re viewed and how word spreads, is out of our control. That’s why I decided to release the first finished track I had from the EP and take back some control of my experience, turn a negative into a positive. Keepsakes had already hooked me up with a thugged out remix, so it felt like by releasing Deplatformed something I had control of had come out of this period.”

'Deplatformed' is out now digitally and on strictly limited edition 12" vinyl via Pleasure.