Serenda doesn’t believe in genre boundaries. A phrase that usually rings hollow becomes meaningful in her case. After all, those releasing music on Bradley Zero’s Rhythm Section International label are typically orbiting the nucleus of house music. And while the opener »Angry Sol« from Second Skin does the same, it’s far less influenced by soul or disco than what’s typical for the label. Instead, Serenda presents overdriven, metallic drumming in a focused tech-house manner, with subtle vocals and clammy pads hovering in the background – evoking DJ Bone’s approach on tracks like »Shut The Lites Off«. Every element communicates in a perfectly functional fashion.
»Hive Mind«, by contrast, does the exact opposite: an ostensibly African vocal is pitted against organic drum salvos. There’s so much going on here, it’s hard to keep track – polyrhythms and frenzied shouts send the listener stumbling across the dancefloor, while the overall sonic clarity remains impressive. »Part Seven« then whips out the tech-house lash again, delivering a steel-plated drum workout with tool-like qualities, aesthetically reminiscent of early Midland productions. Finally, there’s »Mrs. Nightstress«, a twisted finale featuring dissonant synths reminiscent of air raid sirens, warped vocal snippets, and sensual saxophone echoes – an unconventional combo that still packs enough punch for club use.
Second Skin
