Sectra — Visceral Vibrations

A journey through scary music

Sometimes we rely on music to feel things for us, so we don’t have to bear the crushing burden of our emotions all on our own. A powerful thing happens when we hear the darkest pieces of ourselves echoed back at us… We realise that we’re not alone — or maybe we are, but at least we’re okay with it.

That’s why we find solace in scary music.

Some artists possess a special talent for reminding us how beautiful our monsters can be, if we’re brave enough to get to know them. Sectra is one of those magicians who seems able to make our personal demons sound good when they sing. The Chicago-based artist has a shamanistic touch on both the buttons and on the decks — and his sound is unapologetically sinister. Sectra’s original productions rumble and lurk with the consuming character of unforgivable evil. Many burn with an unbridled rawness that plays out like an ambush; other moments are haunted by creeping existential desolation. Sectra produces for impact: his tracks unleash thick, visceral vibrations that beg for a proper sound system. Proficient at many BPMs, the artist is audibly at home in the bottomless realm of 140. His music suggests that it’s his natural tempo.

Sectra’s place on Encrypted Audio’s astute roster of releasing artists makes sense sonically. The young artist approaches dubstep with the type of unique perspective that defines the label’s personality. His three-track EP from the label, ENC016, is relentless. Its devotion to darkness is reminiscent of Malleus’ signature, and the profound influence of Goth-Trad rings true in the tracks, but to pinpoint any particular artist whom Sectra “sounds like” would be an unfair — and perhaps impossible — task. Encrypted labelmate Trisicloplox is the only producer to come to mind. Both share a gritty aesthetic best described as overwhelming — in suggestion, but not effect. And, the inevitable emergence of chaos is a theme prevalent in each artists’ tracks. Still, Sectra’s sound is distinct and, for such a young artist, his confident grasp on it is especially impressive. As a rising talent, the producer’s potential is obvious, but so is his skill and sophistication. Every one of his tunes contains a precise, piercing fragment of the musician who made them.

On the decks, Sectra is equally imposing. He plays with a refined intuition that often eludes more experienced DJs, and the respect for the craft that too many young producers are willing to compromise. As a DJ, Sectra demonstrates the same sense of restraint displayed by the minimalist tendencies of his tracks. While his mix is certainly a statement of his personal style, Sectra doesn’t exactly give his own productions VIP treatment on the setlist. Still, the artist’s productions are a natural complement to tunes from artists like Myxed Up, EVA808, Chad Dubz, and Egoless. Rather than a promotional gesture, his featured mix is a seductive spiral through Sectra’s musical mind.

You might recognise the stuff Sectra is made of. Great music often rings with the moment it was made from. It is not only skillful, but honest; human. The artist has a diverse background, citing a broad array of sonic inspirations. He’s yet another testament to Truth’s powerful pull as protectors of the underground sound. His passion for metal music is audible in his productions and, while Chicago’s dubstep scene is meagre (at best), you’re likely to find him in the crowd for sets from many of the genre’s more aggressive sub-strains. But the intimate, emotional divulgence encompassed by Sectra’s music is its most resonant aspect. His tracks play out like carefully guarded secrets.

From these intensely personal moments, Sectra casts dubstep’s siren spell: the enchantment of existence.

Track list:

Sectra — ???

??? — ???

Sectra — IAIHHM

Trisicloplox — ???

??? — ???

Sectra — Perdition

Binary — Pea Shooter

LAS & Commodo — Pocosink (Kronodigger’s Illegal remix)

The Greys — ???

Noise808 — Karma

Chad Dubz & Iant. — Light Theif

Sectra — Army Of Darkness VIP

Myxed Up — Headspun

EVA808 — Loner

Chad Dubz — Drain Pipe

Sparxy, Karnage, & Mark IV — City 17

Whatley — ???

Sectra — Worthless VIP

Sectra — Morbidity

Sectra — Burial Asphyxia

Sectra — Rain

Sectra — Medicated

Egoless — Be, Do, Have (.I.)

Kloudmen — Manyaro

??? — ???

Karnage — ???

Bukez Finezt — Eerie Voices

Forslab — Drop (Artoniks remix)

AD & Seno — Bankai (aera remix)

Whatley & Sectra — Unrealistic

??? — ???

Sleeper & Jamakabi — Civil War 2016

Yheti — Crack The Window (DMVU remix)

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