RXM Reality - Advent (2021)

Following a series of releases on the label Hausu Mountain, Chicago’s Mike Meegan aka RXM Reality makes his Orange Milk debut with Advent, a collection of pummeling electronic impact music. Heavily inspired by the sound mix of blockbuster movies, the music is aggressive with a new industrial feel, where breathing sounds, sword swipes and gun loading clips are manipulated beyond recognition into raw form and texture. In contrast to the mechanical timbres, the actual composition and feel of the music is loose and free; hook-like rhythmic passages will occasionally lock into place, but there isn’t much overt acknowledgement of the computer grid. I think RXM Reality and other likeminded artists are slowly erasing the separation between perceptions of acoustic and electronic music. By interfacing so seamlessly with the tools of creation, the music feels hand-hewn, idiosyncratic, and mechanical all at once.

While often purely percussive, Advent also features a stronger focus on harmony and melody than previous RXM albums, adding a layer of sudden melancholy maybe most notable in tracks like “Character Limit”, which strips back the chaotic bombast in favor of an understated harmonic passage, or “These Days” which begins with an almost gentle looping melodic phrase before aggro rhythmic blasts interject. Mike describes his previous few albums being inspired by darker themes, but by the end of Advent we start to see a lighter perspective shine through.