Review: Makornik - Hiding From Pain LP [Wrongnotes]

Makornik has been on our radar for quite some time now. The Parisian producer slipped into our demise with 'Caw Caw' back in 2016, and since then, Makornik's discography has gradually grown into a solid selection of Class A bangers.

'Hiding from Pain' is Makornik's first LP on Wrongnotes and it should absolutely come with a warning sign. This is industrial techno and should you hear these tracks on a dancefloor or in a dungeon, they'll assault your ears in the best possible way.

Setting the tone of the LP, 'Before the Bloodshed' is an eerie opener which is on the lighter side of all 9 tunes on the LP. Pounding drums and metallic percussion make up the bones of the track, with elements of a Perc-esque lead throughout.

'Hiding From Pain' is a chaotic cluster of percussion, upping the ante immediately. Its forceful, somewhat brutal lead makes it hard to imagine it in a club setting but in the right atmosphere, it's sure to knock any fiends out of a drug-induced reverie.

'Stench of Decay' - once again Makornik hits the nail on the head with an appropriate track title - is an amalgam of punchy drums with an electrified, indistinguishable vocal tripping out the listener before dropping into an infectious hook. Certainly a stand-out on the LP.

'Revenge' is a broken up creation which would be perfect to blend into a peak time slammer. Laced with consistent, rough percussion and a twanging lead, it's a juddering mutation of noise which would undoubtedly leave any dancefloor thirsty for more.

'Avenged' is set in dark territory. It's less chaotic with more straight up percussion and softer hi hats, packed with relentless and fat drums throughout. A reliable go-to for a breather between the more harsher tracks on the LP.

'Destroying The Trend' is a twisted, choppy track with a robotic vocal all the way through. In classic Makornik-style, it's fast, rhythmic and builds up wonderfully. The broken drums arrangement before swooshing into the vocal heavy lead work particularly well on this one.

'Havoc' does exactly what it says on the tin. A cacophony of menacing drums and crisp hats, it's actually a pretty simple tune but sometimes less is more. A secret weapon for sure.

One of the more abstract tracks on the LP, 'Choke On My Rage' gets the nod for the most creepiest intro out of all 9 tracks. It doesn't take off until after the 3 minute mark and catches the listener off guard a number of times, with a breathy, banshee-like vocal thrown in. Very weird but enticing energy beneath the surface.

If there was a genre called 'cinematic industrial techno', the closing track, 'Striding in Fear (Outro)', would embody such a category. A deeply atmospheric production which isn't danceable in the slightest but more for rounding off the previously percussive heavy tracks, it's the perfect way to end a huge debut LP from Makornik.

'Hiding From Pain' is an aggressive collection of well produced, slightly hectic tracks and probably won't suit everyone's taste but if all techno sounded the same, we would't have anything to write about. Never a dull moment from Makornik so far, it's safe to say we're looking forward to seeing what's next for the burgeoning producer.

Bandcamp purchase available here.

#Makornik #Paris #Wrongnotes