SilverfoxxETO – DROIDS
This should be played at high volume!
SilverfoxxETO has delivered an uncomfortable, raw statement with ‘DROIDS’ that makes no compromises whatsoever. Where his earlier work, such as ‘MA.D.D. Mud’ still flirted with chillwave and alternative hip hop; here, the artist takes a far more aggressive and experimental path. This is music intended to confront, not to please.
The album opens with ‘Hung Ghosts’, a track that immediately recalls the early work of The Prodigy. The industrial beats and pounding synths immediately set the tone for what’s to come: a relentless sonic assault that allows no breathing space. The production is deliberately raw and unfiltered, as if the artist categorically rejects any form of polish. ‘Because The Internet II’ builds on that intensity with distorted basslines and chaotic percussion that chase each other in a claustrophobic soundscape.
It’s only with ‘Pray For Me She Said’ that the album seems to breathe for a moment, with a slightly more atmospheric approach that creates space between the sonic aggression. But that calm is short-lived. ‘The Humbling’ dives back into the darkness with dense layers of electronic textures that feel suffocating, precisely as the title suggests. The track functions as a wake-up call, a reminder of vulnerability in an increasingly digital world.
‘Scorpion Death Drop’ and ‘Sharpless Needles’ form the beating heart of the album. Here, SilverfoxxETO finds the perfect balance between structure and chaos. The beats are purposeful yet unpredictable, with sudden breaks and shifts that keep the listener constantly on edge. The production techniques strongly recall noise rock and experimental electronica, genres that traditionally receive little space in the mainstream hip hop scene.
‘Simulated Tacos’ offers a bizarre interlude, an almost cynical commentary on artificial authenticity. The title alone raises questions about what is real and what is imitated, a theme that resonates throughout the entire album. ‘Flux Capacitor and the Ultimate Nullifier’ is, with its sci-fi references, the most cinematic moment on the album, with glitchy synths and heavy drums creating a dystopian soundscape.
The closing track, ‘Robots In Hell Sounds’, sums up everything that ‘DROIDS’ attempts to say. It’s a cacophony of mechanical sounds, distorted samples and aggressive production that feels like both liberation and condemnation. The robots are no longer our servants but our masters, and hell sounds exactly as you would expect: loud, chaotic and without escape.
Yet ‘DROIDS’ is not without flaws. The refusal to make any concession to accessibility means that some tracks blur together into a homogeneous mass of aggression. The lack of dynamics can be exhausting, and whilst tracks like ‘Scorpion Death Drop’ excel in their intensity, others, such as ‘Sharpless Needles’, lack the necessary variation to truly stick. The album demands much from the listener and will deter many who are looking for more traditional instrumental hip hop.
With ‘DROIDS’, SilverfoxxETO has proven that he is not interested in safety or commercial success. This is art as a statement, music as a protest against a world that is becoming increasingly algorithmic and predictable. It’s loud, uncomfortable and often difficult to digest, but that’s precisely the point. In an era when much music is polished until it loses all sharp edges, ‘DROIDS’ dares to embrace those very edges. It’s not a perfect album, but it is an honest album, and in today’s musical landscape, that may well be the most important thing an artist can be. (7/10) (Independent Release)
