Review: The Hypnotic Neon-Drenched Midnight Of Trevor Something’s ‘Deep Wave Data Dark Web Daemons’

Trevor Something | Deep Wave Data Dark Web Daemons | In Your Brain LLC

Release Date: 8 May, 2020

Shrouded in an enigmatic realm; the bleeding neon works of Trevor Something creep and crawl within the walls of our tender veins, seeping through our arteries and burying themselves within the pores of our skin – the striking obscurity of the producer’s art sculpting his own, distinct realm. The world Trevor Something has created cradles powerfully vivid imagery and cryptic social commentary within every release, radiant with the artist’s electrifying cyberpunk aesthetic – and the overall sense that we are delving into a bizarre, theatrical and futuristic universe, ripe with the allure of mystery.

This being said, the fact that Trevor Something is but the alias of an anonymous producer leaves us questioning his true identity – while still retaining awareness that his identity is deeply ingrained within his creations. Perhaps this cryptic charisma is but one of the elements that has Trevor Something stand out as one of the most unique artists within electronic music since his debut in 2013.

Unafraid to grasp the elements of genre that fascinate him most, Trevor Something splices synth-wave, post-punk, electronica and quite frankly, a kaleidoscopic swirl of many other genres into his unique auditory personality and while the artist is ever evolving, it’s easy to distinguish his work almost immediately. In his latest release and 13th LP ‘Deep Wave Data Dark Web Daemons’, this evidently stands true – however the record allows us a further dive into the forever developing world of Trevor Something, an offering truly invigorating and refreshing that can’t help but leave us hypnotised by the producer’s truly distinct auditory personality.

Right off the bat, in ‘Deep Wave Data Dark Web Demons’ the approach Trevor takes with each of his tracks is a fascinating evolution for the artist that immediately stands out amongst his previous releases. When talking about Trevor’s prismatic enthusiasm toward experimenting with genre, the album serves as a perfect example of the artist’s bold progression – with each track embracing bewitching elements from all genres across the board, even those we previously perhaps wouldn’t have expected.

The opening track ‘Devil In Disguise’ glitters with introspection, a honeyed R&B-esque love ballad with the steady heartbeat and rich atmosphere gleaming with the idyllic textural electronics and Trevor’s distant, echoic vocals reminiscent of tranquil Wave. The dark, dazzling nature of the aptly named ‘Cybersex’ intertwines with the thematic nature of the latter, taking the modern elements of R&B ballad-esque style and sculpting it into an electrifyingly sensual hypnosis that could easily draw listeners into the smoky obscurity of a late-night, red-lit, neon-drenched dancefloor.

Tracks such as ‘God’s Greed’ and ‘Selling My Soul’ astonish with their raw, emotive, industrial grit; lavish walls of sound coloured with heavily distorted synths, compelling, dramatic post-rock crescendos along with Trevor’s obscure 90’s alternative-esque vocals immediately bringing to mind the work of bands such as Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson – but with Trevor’s signature personality radiantly shining through, with his adoration and immersion in synthwave and post-punk glowing vividly throughout the album.

‘Deep Wave Data Dark Web Daemons’ is an absolutely invigorating release from Trevor Something. The artist’s ability to experiment with a multitude of (usually very different) genres gleams with intricate fluidity, with possibly the most intriguing aspect of the album being not only how strong each track is on their own – but how well they all work together as a coherent whole. Constructing such a dynamic work could easily come across as disjointed, especially when listening in full, but in Trevor Something’s case the 80’s electronica and moody post-punk, neon-lit R&B beats, synth-heavy and angsty industrial darkness work in seemingly effortless harmony.

Rating: 8.5 / 10

Feature Image: Trevor Something in collaboration with chromatichunter