Best known for his hard and heavy tech-driven sound, Jindrich Brejcha, best known as Forbidden Society flips the switch on his latest EP and digs into the deeper side of the dancefloor with surprising results. Among early supporters of the aptly titled Armor EP has been Noisia, who have long championed the deeper side of the scene. In fact, it’s a release that one could easily imagine finding a home on left-leaning imprints like Critical or Dispatch as well Noisia’s own Division. But instead, it’s coming straight from Forbidden Society’s own eponymous imprint and the dark and foreboding atmospheres at the core merge with a kind of intricate sci-fi methodology that is sure to elevate the imprint and the Czech-based artist to a wider audience.
In the same way his Depth EP pushed the boundaries of his sound design and production capabilities, Armor seems intent to ride the fine-line between a kind of futuristic alien hypnotism built on the foundations of industrial-strength techstep and classic neurofunk DNA. As Jindrich tells us, “I wasn’t even sure if I should release this music as it’s completely different from what I usually produce. But then I was like, hey, I love music, I love drum and bass. I have no lifetime contract with anyone to only produce one style of drum and bass, so let’s roll this out.”
To Jindrich’s surprise, the new material was not only positively received by his close mates but from fans and producers alike have been calling it some of his best work to date: “I really had fun while producing this EP and pushing myself to get that hard but deep and more soulful sound. I love to work with melancholic, dark melodies and basslines, and being able to focus more on percussive elements and beats was also part of the appeal for me in this mode.”
Citing the output of Critical Music as well as Alix Perez and his 1985 Music imprint as inspirations on this project, one can imagine the brewing wrath of his hardcore fans who no doubt bristle at the thought of Forbidden Society treading in territory beyond the Thunderdome. “Of course, there will be people saying, ah, it’s not the old Forbidden Society, where is the hard stuff? I’m not leaving the hard music behind. In fact, my sets are harder than ever, but with the production, I wanted to try something new.”
No matter which way Forbidden Society drops the hammer, he should rest assured we’re happy to go along for the ride. Out now on Forbidden Society Recordings so lock yours in here.