Roly Porter - Third Law

Roly Porter
Third Law
2016
Spotify

"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" is Newton's Third Law of motion, forces slamming into each other creating movement. It's not random that the new album from Roly Porter is named after Newton's Law, the record is a conglomeration of forces and reactions coming into existence, hitting, then falling away. Third Law is technically an electronic album, but it is more of a swirling mass of power twitching and surging in and out of existence. Sounds pretty heady right? Well that's exactly what it is, music that is far more intellectual and complex than it is catchy. An sense of melody is abandoned minus the occasional inclusion of strings. Instead industrial slams and vibrating undertones make up this record. Despite it's lack of any kind of melody you still find yourself completely enraptured with the sounds. From start to finish Third Law surrounds you and forces you to deal with what is going on, even if you are not quite sure at the time exactly what that is. There is actually very little that is repeated throughout the record. Some tones may appear and come up again but for the most part every movement is something new swelling up from a deep dark place.

To call this album a work of abstract art would be an understatement. This record is more about the things you bring to it than it is itself. It really is asking you the question: what do you think this is? The effect on the individual is what really makes it special. Space and the void is clearly the main theme here with the dark undertones, but there is also a sense of formlessness as if you are becoming part of the vast emptiness of it all as you listen. For something like this album to have such a deep effect is truly incredible even if you won't be finding yourself listening to this album over and over again. Third Law then becomes an experience more than anything else, something to recon with and keep as a memory but not something you go back to over an over again. So instead of going out and listening to this record, I recommend treating as the experience that it is. Sit back and hold on tight because the intensity is about to crash over you.

7.6 out of 10