Review by ish
Thrènes Mix 020 by schtsch: An Industrial-Techno Odyssey That’ll Mess With Your Head
Switzerland, 2018—enter Thrènes Mix 020, a relentless sonic beast birthed by schtsch under the Thrènes label. This isn’t just another DJ mix; it’s an industrial-techno gut punch that feels like wandering through a glitchy labyrinth at 3 AM. The kind of thing you’d play if you wanted to scare your neighbors but also impress them.
The album throws twenty-three tracks at you, each more disorienting than the last. But two cuts stuck in my brain like gum on a hot sidewalk: “Ghost Waves” and “Fire/Wire.”
“Ghost Waves” hits you with this eerie, almost underwater vibe, like someone left a broken synth floating in the ocean. It builds slowly, layering staticky whispers over pounding beats until you’re not sure whether to dance or call an exorcist. There’s something hauntingly beautiful about how it lingers—it doesn’t scream for attention, it just creeps up on you. By the time it fades out, you’re left wondering if you dreamed half of it.
Then there’s “Fire/Wire,” which is pure chaos bottled into five minutes. Imagine sparks flying off live wires while robots argue rhythmically in the background. It’s aggressive, unpredictable, and oddly addictive. You can practically smell the smoke when the bass drops. If I had to soundtrack a dystopian rave scene in a movie, this would be it.
What makes Thrènes Mix 020 stand out isn’t just its genre-bending madness—it’s the way schtsch stitches together these wild textures without losing cohesion. Tracks like “Damage1” and “RSRRCTN (SHFTD RCNSTRCTN)” feel like they’re from different planets, yet somehow coexist peacefully in this freaky universe schtsch created.
Sure, it’s not for everyone. Some people might find themselves reaching for the pause button after track five because their nervous system can’t handle it. But if you’re into music that challenges as much as entertains, this one will slap you awake.
Here’s the kicker though: listening to this album made me realize how much we take silence for granted. Like, seriously, after an hour of nonstop auditory assault, even the hum of my fridge sounded soothing. Maybe that’s the real art here—making noise so intense that quiet becomes golden.
