‘Elastic’ Marks Sourya Sen’s Most Cohesive Exploration Of Memory Yet

While Sourya Sen has previously also delved into his memory and distilled what he found into meanderings on his modular synths, notably capturing the sense of the cities he has lived in or passed through on 2023's 'In The Cities', his latest EP 'Elastic' broadens his investigation and makes it more abstract as he weighs the concept of memory and living through it itself. Yet, the sense of composition has never been more tangible in the discography of the Mumbai-based artist than it is on this 5-track release.

There are clear central characters on the tracks. Usually, it's a melody over percussive electronic plucks that breaks, dissipates and echoes into the ether to form engulfing washes of dusty noise – or even stay whole and lead the way as it does on 'Memory Machine', where, in a rare moment, Sen offers a clear sense of immense euphoria.

In contrast to that, most of the EP largely offers distorting, grainy and borderline atonal textures so intensely that it feels like memories crumbling to the point of, but never quite fully becoming, disorienting. The opener 'Rectangles of Broken Lights' and the lead single 'Dust' (for which Sen created an entire video made on Unreal Engine, the platform behind classic games like Unreal Tournament, Fortnite and PUBG) are prime offerers of that.

By balancing recognisable form with abstraction, 'Elastic' captures the slippery nature of memory without losing musical focus. It's Sourya Sen’s most realised work yet in terms of capturing his chosen subject.

Listen to 'Elastic' below and follow Sourya Sen for more.

Image by Naman Saraiya