Evol

Conceptual avant-rave duo Evol approach acid house through a scholarly lens, dismantling its fundamental components and repositioning them into extreme, provocative experimental electronic pieces they label "computer music for hooligans." Founded by Barcelona's Roc Jiménez de Cisneros, the project originated in 1996 as a sound art endeavor dedicated to examining the complexities of electronic music creation from first principles, beginning with the mathematical foundations that govern sequencer and synthesizer programming. Over time Cisneros partnered with numerous collaborators, most consistently Scotland's Stephen Sharp. Their initial outing arrived as the 1999 EP Principio on Mego, realized solely via a Yamaha RY-30 drum machine. Once the hardware's constraints became evident, the duo transitioned to computers, pursuing digital synthesis and algorithmic processes.

Thereafter Evol maintained an intense pace, generating dozens of singles, digital releases, art installations, and performance art works annually. A notable early entry in their discography was the 2004 EP Punani Shell, one installment in their expansive "Punani" series, consisting of a ferocious 20-minute surge of abstract electronic noise. The following year brought their first full-length album, Magia Potagia, which pushed pitch-bending and time-stretching to radical limits. Although rooted in academic inquiry, Evol's output consistently conveyed playfulness, humor, and absurdity. Critical circles devoted to experimental music responded with strong acclaim, frequently likening the work to that of peers in the same domain such as Peter Rehberg, Russell Haswell, and Mark Fell. By the late 2000s Evol had formulated the notion of "rave synthesis," digitally and at times organically reconstructing particular textures from early-'90s rave and happy hardcore, above all the iconic "hoover" or "Mentasm" synth timbre. Detached from their source context, immersed in a beatless soundfield, and processed through time-stretching plus additional treatments, these elements coalesced into what the duo termed "rave slime," supplying the foundation for their widely praised 2011 release Wormhole Shubz. Proper Headshrinker appeared in 2013, followed by Do These in 2016.