8/10

Since breaking away from his formative outfit Fuck Buttons near the beginning of this decade, producer Benjamin John Power has seen his new persona Blanck Mass grow from a cult entity into one of the world's most endearing and captivating alt-electronic acts. With three warped and techno-ridden studio albums under his belt, as well as his recent remix work for Editors' 'Violence' LP earlier this year, he now returns to share one of his most thunderous and industrial releases to date in the form of 'Animated Violence Mild', a record that sees him step away from his modest approach and go hell-for-leather on the production.

While Blanck Mass has never been much of a sombre project, just switching on to 'Animated Violence Mild' for the first time makes it seem like everything he has worked on to date has been the producer holding back as this new collection brings a mixture of frenzy and tenacity to his style that sees him mirror the darker side of his troupes, similar to the output of Daughters or HEALTH. Inspired by the "post-industrial, post-enlightenment religion of ourselves", this new collection is all about moving beyond our own understanding of what Blanck Mass has been up until this point, embracing the unknown and taking giant leaps in order to create a bold and fascinating vision for his future self.

The result is beyond anything we were thinking in the build-up to this new release. 'Animated Violence Mild' not only shows off the diverse range of aesthetics he is able to summon, but also takes us on an irreverent journey through the darker side of his own preconceptions, delivering a powerful and original album that grows ever more impressive as it plays.