Review: Fermion – Surveillance

This review was commissioned. However, it bears no weight on the score or decision. All reviews are written from an unbiased standpoint. 

My first thought upon listening to Fermion’s latest EP was, “This is some good shit.” And I truly mean that; since the release of their album “Hysteresis”, the band has decided to focus their energy on darker EBM / techno while staying true to their sci-fi roots. 

‘Surveillance’ is an excellent dark techno romp from start to finish. The lyrics are pretty on point with modern invasion of privacy with a line reading, “The surveillance hides in the shadows’. It’s an on the nose comparison, with plenty of electronic wizardry and samples running through the background to keep it lively and within that sci-fi realm. The song also evolves over time; the beginning keep the bassline the same, but Fermion adds more and more with each running minute, from further backing samples to complete dance synths to compliment the pumping music. It’s a very well done track. 

The second of these two singles, ‘Crossing the Lines’, sticks more along the lines of EBM. Plenty of room for diversion, however, as laser-like sound effects accompany the stomping beat. Nothing overdone, and everything’s well placed in the mix. 

When I first heard Fermion I was iffy on the duo; “Hysteresis” was alright to me. However, this new direction is refocused and fun. And I’m looking forward to hearing more from these two. 

Jun 17 2023