***Pineal activation. IMAX phantasy. Drippy acid ecosystems. HD....everything. All contribute to the sentient environment that is Exo, GATEKEEPER’s debut LP dropping on LA-based label Hippos In Tanks. Demented and celebratory, sinister but pure-hearted, Exo is a cerebral spectacle, a gapless playback rush of digitally-enhanced stimulation. Gatekeeper's 2010 EP Giza demonstrated the duo's acumen for pop horror, contouring both the sinister and camp of bygone synthesizer-driven soundtracks. Exo takes the exotic, outlandish after-hours of Giza to an entirely higher setting. The lust and rust of Giza have evaporated in the blinding light of universal mind, leaving behind the silvery, glowing ecosystem of Exo in its wake. Here Hollywood FX meld with twisting 303 basslines, angelic choirs with metallic synths, cut-up chants with cryptic chords—all fused together by a tight blend of IDM, acid and big-beat inspired techno rhythms. The album is meant to be listened to as a whole—the tracks blend seamlessly to create a continuous environment with a consistent, deep-breathing feel. Imagine angelic dewdrops in a deep forest clearing; diving off a cascading, crystalline waterfall to an instant river. Staying true to their EBM roots, Exo is also an expert surgery: in which Gatekeeper has taken a scalpel to big-American-dance inundation, and revealed a throbbing and insistent heart with HD exotica at its core. (STREET DATE - 7/17/2012)