Vinyl LP
The 10 tracks on Manifest each offer a highly distinct and fully formed glimpse of Ileto’s range. “The New Flesh” and “Maria’s Dream” both deploy razor-sharp grime with the pretty, icy minimalism of Boxed founder Mr. Mitch. “Catalyst” flies through frantic trance patterns before reaching a dizzying bridge of android baroque music, while “Exo” charges on rattling drums and menacing rave shimmers.
Manifest remains just as thrilling when it turns atmospheric. “Dissect” captures a grim corner of Ileto’s universe full of Gristleized electronic squelches that give way to hardcore techno punctuated by drums that clap like thunder. “Ingest” is even better for not ever breaking the tension. Arriving late in the album and taking advantage of the frenzied rush preceding it, Ileto stretches the anticipation while echoing synths buzzsaw in the distance.
Yet for all of its variety, Manifest is never spread thin. By its fittingly titled closing track “Refracted,” each of the disparate pieces fall in line on a vibrant spectrum. Ileto’s “mother of technology” comes together as a fantastical creation if you’re looking for it, but what Manifest undeniably represents is a highly focused statement of purpose from one of experimental techno’s brightest new navigators.