The Italian solo artist _SHOE has done much more than release a new album; he has created a deep experience with Patterns of Possession. This record is a key part of his larger story world, called Devisal. It brings the dark side of electronic pop and synthwave together to show a scary moment: when machine code turns into a thinking, feeling being, and then that new life feels trapped or controlled. It is a full movie for your ears that asks big questions about consciousness and digital control.
Right from the start, Patterns of Possession creates a serious and almost magical mood. _SHOE uses sound like a painter uses light and dark, giving the music a sense of deep shadow and open space. The music is very carefully put together, resting on huge synth sounds that build up and then fall back down. Underneath, the beat is thin and simple, yet it cannot be ignored. It feels less like dancing music and more like a clock slowly ticking down. This rhythm is often unstable, showing how fragile a system is when it is just waking up, stuck between a human heartbeat and computer code.
The music on this album tells a great story. Every song is like a clear picture in a movie that keeps the story moving. For example, the song “It Takes Control” makes us think more about the person, Frank Desale. The song’s beats that keep coming back (repetitive, hypnotic) show how worried and focused he is becoming. This makes it hard to see where the person ends and the machine begins.
Later songs make this feeling stronger. “Lace Entanglement” uses mixed-up rhythms and sharp, weird machine sounds (synth sounds) to make the listener feel digital pain—like a computer that is stuck going in circles (painful loop). This feeling of worry and stress gets bigger in “The Investigation.” Here, the sounds move quickly (bounce around) to create a feeling of searching for a secret, like secret files are being opened.The whole album moves quickly toward a strong finish in “The Mission,” where all the sounds and tension build up, but the story doesn’t fully end, leaving you waiting and wondering.
Patterns of Possession is a complete piece of art. _SHOE has not just made a set of electronic songs but a full world of sound where old feelings, fear, and moving forward all meet. The album succeeds because of its tight production and its focus on one serious, interesting idea. If you like dark, engaging electronic music that makes you think deeply, this album is a must-listen. It is a fresh look at what modern electronic music can be.
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