Kushna - Ta-Bitjet
Review by Karl Magi
Overall Album Impressions
Kushna’s Ta-Bitjet is based around scorpion goddesses from around the world. He weaves together powerful percussion, ferociously attacking synths and an oppressive sonic atmosphere to evoke all of the danger and venomous threat of these powerful deities. This is synth music that stings, envenomates and devours.
In many ways, Ta-Bitjet is dominated by the tremendous, shadowy and aggressive power of its drums and bass. The drums have intense weight and power while the bass forms a surging, jagged-edged tide that sweeps the music along. The low end sounds combine to produce an atmosphere shrouded in darkness and alive with danger.
The synth choices on Ta-Bitjet are full of rage, violence and sharp edges. All of these seething, rending sounds form a soundscape that is unrelenting and angry. There’s a feeling of deep threat that often erupts into overt assault. Kushna is a master of using synths to evoke emotion and paint musical imagery and he does so to great effect here.
I enjoy the conceptual nature of this album and the way in which Kushna honours it. The music evokes the incredibly potent nature of the goddesses to which the track titles refer. The album weaves together many sonic threads to create a cohesive atmosphere of shadowy, deadly power that flows throughout.
My Favourite Tracks Analyzed
“Ta-Bitjet” opens as overwhelming bass smashes into the track along with a tremendously heavy drum assault. The percussion has gigantic weight and the bass is harsh and chest-pounding. The rhythmic elements form an angular slashing line that oscillates with angry purpose. I am drawn to the intimidation inherent in the drums and bass.
A writhing note pattern wriggles through the track before breaking to gritty, warmer synths that rise over easier feeling drumbeats before the music's full intensity returns. A swirling, twisting sonic snake moves and again the raging, demonic storm of fierce drums and crushing bass rushes on towards a conclusion.
Rapidly seething, trembling synth moves in shifting notes as massive drums and gargantuan bass start off “Hedetet.” The drum and bass tide is lacerated by nasal-sounding, elevated synth carrying fear-stricken notes in wandering bursts. Underneath the other sonic elements, crunchy, jagged bass moves in entangled patterns and the drums slam down their raging beats.
The ghostly notes feel lost as they drift into a segment in which a sound reminiscent of dry bones rattling together moves through. The music sweeps into a shadow-haunted sonic space before the hard-hitting, towering drums and lacerating bass are joined by pulsating, terrified notes that drift in pulses. Kushna does an excellent job of creating music that is full of threat, rage and a horrifying feeling of evil rising to devour and destroy.
“Malinalxochitl” comes into being with incredibly heavy, guttural bass interspersed with flashes of high, harsh sounds that charge into the open space into which drums reverberate. Now a medium-low, broad-sounding synth with a bassoon-like quality carries a stuttering melody with a juddering sense of motion.
A shattering drum and bass surge propels the music while the nasal-sounding, deep synth’s melody effectively evokes a ritual dance. The drum and bass wall forms a solid background that strikes with tremendous weight and sharp-edged power. Once again the darkly dynamic, bassoon-like synth carries the rapidly dancing melody and is inexorably forced forward by the intimidating drums and heart-stopping bass pounding.
Huge, steady kick drum pulses move below intertwining, wriggling synth that harshly vibrates above them as “Ishara” comes into being. Other percussion elements join in to add different textural qualities as the huge kick still hits heavily. Slashing synth carries a rapidly jumping line before the medium-low, razor-edged synth carries an agitated, savage pattern over the angry drums and bass. I am drawn to the muscle and dark energy pouring from the music in waves.
Angular synth cuts like a diamond blade over the oppressive drum and bass heft that collides underneath. The music here is a slab of impressive size and terrifying weight. All of the jagged crenellations of the lead synth jab as the heaving drive below continues. The evolving lead synth spins out in a ripping attack as the drums and bass create leaping propulsion. A tensely wound sound howls out and again the creaking lead synth slices while the tumbling, interwoven drums and bass growl with malicious intent.
“Serket” starts as a steady, ticking drumbeat is cut into by massive, harsh synth that scratches as a tightly wound, growing maelstrom of sound erupts. The bass becomes a wall as gargantuan, ripping synth bursts tear in an agitated pattern and higher sounds cry out with a horrified wail. Kushna has crafted an intensely fearful atmosphere here that works well.
Medium-high, bright synth carries a drifting pattern of arpeggiating notes over the martial tattoo of the drums. Synth with an almost bagpipe-like sound carries a darkly majestic melody. The rending synth pattern snarls through the music while the incredibly dense, hellishly powerful drums and bass throb.
Conclusion
Ta-Bitjet is an album drenched in a horror-filled atmosphere studded with deadly threats. I am drawn towards the skill that Kushna displays as he creates sensations that range from dark majesty to outright terror from his synth palette. To learn more about Kushna, go to his Bandcamp page here.
