12.13.21 by Matty McPherson

When trading favorites with Mr. Foxy Digitalis back in May, Brad Rose confessed that L’âge de l’absolutisme was one of the most awe-inspiring releases of 2021 to date. And indeed, when the tape came around, it HIT on the soundsystem and turned me and a pal into literal goo; a fantastical post-rock hybrid and a mongo act of self-realization for MMMD* (pronounced Muhammed). The Athens, Greece based duo of Illos (Dimitris Kariofilis) and Nikos Veliotis have spent 12 years on Illos’ Antifrost label with over a dozen albums. In that time, they’ve decided to make a mad investment in the low end. Beyond the theoreticals and theory, just straight into the veins with the LE oscillators (Look at that back j-card–how you goin’ big on big?). For 2021’s dispatch, Alem joins the duo, to perform a series of baroque stone cold classics that he does with finesse and stateliness you’d expect from your grandfather’s mutant Phillips C60s. To great effect, MMMD brought the choir, the cello and those oscillators to create a “gigantesque basso continuo” that operates as a second skin running under Alem. Baroque Drone wasn’t on my tape 2021 bingo card, but its appearance is worthy of the bubbly–or at least a mad hangover cure. Even as a tidy C30, the three pieces are unnerving in their own cunning and fascinating morose elements to lie into and suck out the impurities. A sublime cleanse.

O-Card carton cover limited to 100 copies