Between their Strategies Against the Body record comps and the two previous tapes in this series, the gentle souls at DKA have cataloged enough electronica to make the Smithsonian jealous. Considering this, it’s no surprise that digesting Tape Programme Vol. III is an endeavor, although if you’re reading this review you probably already know it’s well worth your time.

cover art for DKA Tape Programme Vol. 3

Featuring a variety of DKA alumni and friends, the 23-track compilation takes the form of a cavernous structure haunted by jagged tones bouncing through hollow halls. Yet, as the acerbic beats writhe and reproduce throughout this monstrosity, it becomes clear the belly of the beast is simply the atrium of DKA Records. This is a reflection of the growing mass of dark synthetic gold produced by the label over the past 7 years. The nearly 100-minute compilation is representative of DKA’s fortitude and the dense richness of a scene often lumped into vague categories and diluted with adjectives like “experimental.”

As a whole, Vol. III gives the uninitiated listener context as they absorb a world of electronica and take a deep trip through the real and the imagined. Futuristic tones confront ancient emotions and their offspring are swaddled and nurtured by an ‘80s industrial atmosphere. The result reflects DKA’s greatest success as a label; namely, the ability to create and compile modern synthesized music that doesn’t regurgitate the past while building upon the classics. Echoes of Solid Space, Severed Heads, and a swath of underground idols flow throughout Vol. III without treading repetitive waters, thanks to the blisteringly diverse array of tracks that compose the tape.

The manner in which taut EBM tracks like Videograve’s “A Moth Among the Flames” oppose minimal jams like Latex Cop’s “Intruder” demonstrates a delicate balance which, while further evidence of the label’s conscientiousness, supersedes any encyclopedic analysis of the compilation with raw emotional experience. Perhaps the most jarring example of this occurs as Altra’s “Electric Soup,” an absolute cacophony, is balanced by the skeletal closer “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” an ambient masterpiece by the UK’s Night Foundation. This crowning achievement is a meditative digestif that focuses the energy of the work as a whole into a few scattered chords. In short, the front to back listening experience requires an embrace of shifting moods, a surrender to the deluge, and a realization that the inability to do anything but listen is the best sort of problem to have while parsing such a massive endeavor.

DKA will celebrate the release of Tape Programme Vol. III tonight at Mother Bar+Kitchen with performances by TWINS, Krystal V, USGS, Ghilliam, and DKA DJs. Doors open at 8 p.m.

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