Kevin Richard Martin: Sub Zero

"Sub Zero is a black hole of sound that sucks the color out of everything around it and makes a universe out of what feels like nothingness. Here, Martin hollows out his materials, leaving just the bass and high frequencies. The only real midrange comes from what sounds like inclement weather or the occasional distant, lumbering percussion."

"Sub Zero operates in two modes: a stillness that calls into question the presence of life itself, and a loud banging coming from somewhere underneath you, as if to remind you that you're not alone after all. On tracks like 'Destroyed,' or its spiritual cousin 'Screwed,' the plodding rhythm is more anxiety-inducing than head-nodding."

"Only the feeling of emptiness and despair, rather than Martin's usual righteous fury, separate it from his better-known project. There's no specific story behind Sub Zero, just an oppressive, almost featureless soundscape that makes it difficult to hear any details beyond the ominous, droning roar."

Sub Zero represents Kevin Richard Martin's most suffocating ambient dub work, characterized by a minimalist approach that removes midrange frequencies while retaining only bass and high frequencies, occasionally punctuated by distant percussion and weather-like sounds. Originally released on Bandcamp in 2022 and now pressed to vinyl, the album operates between two modes: oppressive stillness that questions the presence of life, and loud, anxiety-inducing rhythms from beneath. Unlike Martin's previous projects under his own name, Sub Zero contains no specific narrative, instead presenting a featureless soundscape dominated by ominous droning roar. The album's power rivals his Bug alias work, distinguished primarily by its emphasis on emptiness and despair rather than righteous anger.

Read at Pitchfork