Does the world really need so many Gatekeepers? I say we gather at least a few of these individuals and put their implied skills to the test — by having them police the border between the United States and Mexico. You might know the Bristolian Gatekeeper for his appearances on various dubstep compilations, such as 2007’s Soundboy Punishments from Skull Disco, or Surgeon’s Fabric 53 mix, released in 2010. However, that’s not the Gatekeeper we’re talking about here. You might know Gatekeeper by her other name — Zuul — who possesses Sigourney Weaver’s character in the 1984 classic Ghostbusters. However, despite her seemingly Nordic growls, she hasn’t yet explored the Satanic realm of record label contracts, so that’s not the Gatekeeper we’re talking about, either.
Gatekeeper (for this article, specifically) are a New York-based electronic duo intent on revitalizing the fear that originated in the 1970s, of artificially intelligent machines chasing you down suburban streets, when all you really wanted was a friendly robot servant to take out the garbage on the appropriate days. On July 17, Gatekeeper will be following up their 2010 EP Giza (which made our top album covers of that year) with the release of their debut full-length Exo, via Hippos in Tanks. That’s a label. They aren’t actually delivering their album through some inconceivable army of tank-driving hippopotami.
A point of intrigue about this album: according to Pitchfork, a “first-person gaming environment” will accompany the release, where one can explore “various worlds inspired by tracks on the album.” Now, let’s all reserve judgment.
Exo tracklisting:
01. Imax
02. Exolift
03. Visitor
04. Bog
05. Vengier
06. Hydrus
07. Pre - Gen
08. Tree Drum
09. Dromos
10. Aero
11. Re - Gen
12. Encarta
• Gatekeeper: http://hipposintanks.net/artists/gatekeeper
• Hippos in Tanks: http://hipposintanks.net