Phirnis “The Gateway Tape” cassette (Strategic Tape Reserve)

The Gateway Tape, as the title implies, is about disorientation, an energy of bewilderment upon passing into something new. Tracks that feel like they’re about to take shape as solid forms start to emerge, only then loop back, stall, or fold in on themselves. Raw computer-funk beats, mutating alien drones and emotion-tinged tonal fragments all surface briefly, but nothing stays in place for too long, before twisting off-course or dissolving into static. Compared to Phirnis’ earlier works, this tape feels more focused in its instability – less like drifting, more like controlled misdirection. In the three years that passed since his last tape (also on STR), Chill Noise, the artist spent time performing live and collaborating on a side project band with drums, guitar, and electronics. These off-tape explorations left their trace: The Gateway Tape is a shift, arriving with a renewed sense of musicality – though one that’s always slipping away, smudged by tape hiss and fractured form. Ultimately, The Gateway Tape refuses to resolve. It doesn’t claim access to higher states, but it might briefly convince you that you’ve stepped into a place you were never meant to enter.