Beyond the Zero

Through word of mouth, the band has built up an international fan base in the past few years. Interest has come largely from appearances on seminal European compilations such as the TSM series produced by The Scrap Mag (Spain) and Until the Sun Grows Cold from Vocoder Tapes (England). Spatial Relation's cassette EP Thoughtcrime also was released last year by Infravox Records (Peru), and this was preceded by a split seven-inch single with the artist Xiu on Peripheral Minimal in 2013.

The eight songs that make up Beyond the Zero were produced, recorded, and mixed in the band's home studio from 2012 to 2014. In addition to new titles such as the stand-out singles "Tacit Knowledge" and "Phantoms of the Future," the album includes the cult hit "Contour Lines," which helped launch Spatial Relation to public attention, and closes with the minimalist favorite "Mysteries of Chance." All tracks have been mastered with care by the famed Dutch producer and engineer Alden Tyrell.

With influences ranging from 1980s minimal synth to Skam-styled IDM, Spatial Relation's music draws equally from the early pop work of Depeche Mode and the later electro sounds of Dopplereffekt. Emphasizing hard beats, thick basslines, and hypnotic arpeggios, the minimalist arrangements onBeyond the Zero are geared for maximum effect. Created with a carefully chosen selection of analog electronic instruments, the album pairs the overtly synthetic sounds of hardware with human vocal experimentation.

Highlighting deep interests in history and the arts, Lissette's darkly romantic vocals touch on themes of disillusionment and alienation in the post-modern world. With references to geometry, precision, chaos, and probability, the lyrics expose a mysterious universe of parallel and intersecting ideas. At times the vocal work is atmospheric, draped loosely over electronic soundscapes; other songs reveal a harder spoken-word style, with staccato rhymes delivered in lockstep with crisp drum-machine rhythms.

For fans of experimental dance music, Beyond the Zero is a debut that is not to be missed. The album is avant-garde yet infectiously catchy, perfectly straddling the line between underground minimal synth and pop-structured new wave. Peripheral Minimal's latest release will be available soon in both digital and vinyl formats, with the latter limited to 300 copies, marking the first full-length vinyl album to appear on the label.