CD-R, self-released, 2009
www.myspace.com/sturqen
Sturqen is a duo operating from Portugal, and this untitled selection of tracks is their first demo effort. Other than that, there really isn’t any information available, so lets go straight to the music.
A pulsating kick drum combined with a grinding loop. An unsettling, raw growling noise enters as the kick turns into a deeply distorted yet funky beat. From the very start it’s quite clear what this collection of untitled tracks by Sturqen is all about. Forget about delicate melodies or sweet piano passages. The songs consist of ever-evolving abstract sounds, pounding beats and mean basses. Each of these aspects seems to be changing almost constantly, without losing form altogether. Because of this, the songs have a great amount of detail and texture.
There is more than enough variation to keep the listener interested. Sometimes it feels like ‘Sturqen’ has been jamming away, furiously twisting knobs of various angry synths and cutting out the best bits for us to enjoy. At times the tracks seem to be overtaken by waves of nasty feedback. This does intensify the listening experience, but it also makes it hard to sit through the album in one go.
All in all, this collection is quite promising, and I’m curious what direction Sturqen will take. A bit more song structure wouldn’t hurt once in a while, but this foundation is certainly strong enough to hold its own.
[7/10]
— Tijs Ham