After working with Michael Southard on several musical projects, our writing process has become almost second nature to me. We understand each other's stylistic strong points and we seem to instinctively navigate through the creative and production phases in a seamless manner. This makes for a wonderful framework in which to create within. 'Worm Hardcore' is the next logical step in our evolving collaborative catalog of instrumental ideas.

~Belial Pelegrim

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I have been working with Belial Pelegrim for about 4 years on various projects. He is one of my favorite artists to work with because he is incredibly easy going, flexible and professional. For Worm Hardcore, we didn't really have a set path in mind when we started, we just started trading some projects that we thought would fit each other's styles. After a couple tracks were completed, we had a roadmap for how to proceed. The end result is quite a unique, organic and detailed EP that we're both very excited about.

~Michael Southard (Supply Fi)

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A special treat, as you've been good folks. A cosmic collaboration of trans-universal proportions. Or rather trans-American proportions. Maybe not even, I think they live fairly close relatively speaking. Anyhow.. The promised treat: 'Worm Hardcore', an excellent new Extended Play now available from your chums at Triplicate Records. On the synths and drum machines it's Triplicate CEO Supply-Fi AKA Michael Southard of Time Rival fame, and Belial Pelegrim, AKA ((redacted)) A legend in the underground electronic scene. This would be the second Triplicate release from the boys, following up from 2018's 'False Memories of Rainy Days'.

Whenever collaboration occurs between these two titans it's a challenge to determine where Southard Ends and Pelegrim begins. Both of their styles are certainly present and identifiable as such, but once the rhythm section picks up in any and all of the six stellar works presented here, all individuality seems forfeit. Some polymorphous organism fluent beyond comprehension in experimental electronic songcraft takes their place and flaunts musical chops to the extreme.

On the forthright opener 'Burnt Sienna' surface noise-drenched whirrs signal the coming fun, from above, scattered crawling notes delicately descend, followed by a micro-house beat and the alluring promise of funk. Soon said funk materializes, courtesy of a bass with the uncanny power to reach out through your headphones and make you bob your head for lengthy amounts of time.

A darkness threatens to overtake the cautiously optimistic futurism of Deja Nu in the form of long drawn-out drone tones in constant battle with the levity of the arpeggiated synth-keys. The battle of light and dark seems to cleverly lengthen the EP's shortest track, packed with dense layering of textures and emotional conflict as it is.

A Picture of Nothing at all doesn't sound like a particularly boastful title, yet the drums provide all the character one could hope for, locking into a very pleasing groove, comparable in funk-levels to the opener. Bizzare synth-oddities become more and more prominent as the tune progresses, fading into weird bliss around the record's half way mark.

Momentum briefly takes a pause as you're tricked into thinking they've taken an ambient detour with the heavenly opening sketching of 'Sleepwalker' before the drums save you and the fun resumes. The spaced out kit and longing synth-swirls carve out an alienated atmosphere compared to the relative levity of the previous track, though warmer chord pulses off-set the sterility and flood the dreamscape with a supernova of organic lushness. Colo(u)r pours in like virtual holy light through some simulated stained glass-coated vestibule.

The Hand of Fascination casts a complicated shadow of emotional duality (shades of anger and sass) over a tricky 16-step swing beat. Hardcore heavy machinery shifting like great steam powered automatons over convulsing tectonic plates. Percussion, punchier and more driven than ever smacks you right across the gob keeps going, like a worm crawling and hauling some impossible boulder up a hill of mankind's broken spirit. It does however sound really cool.

Closer 'Hollow Spaces' bleeds in with a deep and dour chord wail, accompanied by piano work both maudlin and beautiful. Everything goes all slow-mo as the record comes to an end. Distant, tortured percussion dutifully keeps the glacial pace as descending key-forays promise elevation. Digital rain pours down right near the climax as the EP phases away and we hear the tape being shut off. By whom we can't say. It isn't terribly important, as fun as it is guessing who is responsible for which instrument, which musical passage. What's important is they made this elegant miniature in about two weeks, and frankly given the superb quality that's a little worrying for the rest of the creative community, but certainly welcome news for fans of unendingly good music.

~George Evans (Triplicate Records)