Mondkopf’s I, released under his alias Extreme Precautions, is a punishing, tightly wound piece of experimental electronic music. Created in just one week and released on the French label In Paradisum, the album is a raw distillation of harsh noise, industrial textures, and mechanical rhythms. Tracks average barely over a minute, each delivering bursts of relentless energy, where distorted kicks, jagged synth lines, and fragmented structures dominate the soundscape.
“I was thinking of doing a techno EP,” Mondkopf explained, “but I was mostly listening to Brutal Truth, Assuck, Napalm Death, and Pig Destroyer at that time, so grindcore got me carried away, and I went blast beat.” This isn’t a grindcore album, but the influence of that chaotic, aggressive ethos is undeniable. The music channels its intensity into a wholly electronic framework, using the cold precision of machines to recreate the visceral energy Mondkopf admired.
Mondkopf, known for his atmospheric and cinematic approach to electronic music on albums like Rising Doom (2011), took a sharp turn with this release. Already respected for blending techno and ambient with darker, experimental elements, he used Extreme Precautions as a vehicle for something entirely different: a record that’s stripped down, confrontational, and unapologetically harsh.
The sound design throughout I is stark and abrasive, with bursts of distorted rhythm colliding against eerie, dissonant synths. These moments of sharp, tonal clarity add depth to the record, offering fleeting glimpses of structure amid the chaos. Tracks like “Blast” and “Distortion” are emblematic of this approach—delivering pure, unrelenting noise without compromising the album’s mechanical precision.
Released on In Paradisum, a label synonymous with boundary-pushing experimental music, I stands out as a manifesto of extremity. It captures the essence of creative urgency while refusing to conform to expectations, either within electronic music or beyond. The album’s brief runtime and stripped-back aesthetic leave no room for filler, making every second count.
Mondkopf’s I is a powerful, uncompromising statement. It’s an electronic album that thrives on chaos, intensity, and immediacy, delivering a visceral listening experience that lingers long after the noise has faded.
Sterling Mosh 
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