Slikback - Attrition (2025)

Slikback releases Attrition – a densely detailed, cinematic exploration of sound packed with intricate rhythms and gleaming textures. Slikbacks Attrition marks his first full-length album for Planet Mu, delivering an immersive melding of cinema and game sound design with tough dance music. Its like a sci-fi film for the ears, exploring a chain of events with dark atmospheres and dramatic pacing; trapdoors and jump scares for your ears. These contrasts and the dense painterly colour of his sounds give it a beastly beauty. The album came to life during a period of transition, while waiting for a visa after recently moving to Poland from Kenya, where he grew up. With this unexpected pause in travel, Slikback found himself working at a slower, more deliberate pace. Writing for a label instead of self-releasing also introduced new dynamics, like feedback and structured release schedules. Rather than feeling restricted, he saw this process as a blessing. In a happy and reflective headspace—newly married and welcoming a newborn child—he was able to fully develop his compositions. I was finally able to explore ideas to a point where I didnt feel the need to change anything, he shares. Attrition is the result of that creative freedom. While Attrition nods to familiar genres, drawing on elements of Gqom, Dubstep, Tech-Step, and Hardcore Techno, it pushes them into new territory, shaping high-tech, intricate compositions. I worked on the tracks back and forth, drastically transforming some from their original sketches, Slikback explains. I wanted to create a journey within each track, like something alien emerging from emptiness—beauty from chaos. The album opens gently before diving into fast-paced 140bpm sounds, reminiscent of earlier Planet Mu releases. Midway through, Taped shifts the energy with a shimmering, 160bpm rolling bassline. As the album progresses, its intensity builds. The music grows darker, faster, and more unpredictable, culminating in a final track that bursts apart in a thrilling, chaotic climax. A standout moment in Slikbacks career, Attrition is a masterclass in sound design and vision. Strange yet beautiful, intense yet rewarding—its the most strikingly unique album youll hear all year.