The Bifrucated Drop A Wild and Experimentally Driving EP
- BuzzSlayers
- 6 hours ago
- 7 min read
An EP release from The Bifrucated hits with one of the most experimental and rambunctious approaches and sounds that I've heard in a while. The reason is that the record blends these elements of hyper, high-energy electronic music with breakbeat, heavy rock, metal, and more.
Throughout this release, you hear chunky guitars with heavy distortion, glitchy production, edgy and wild songwriting, and this sonic presence and drive that absolutely thrives from start to finish.
The record is called Spiked Lemonade, and it starts with a track called "Fractal", which introduces itself with a massive, swelling synthesizer that sort of pulls you into this void, and once you're there it jumps into crazy percussion, drumming, and beats that start pushing the envelope, during all of this, there are guitar elements, and synth pads that sort of come in and out, laced throughout the background, and floating through the songs ether.
This is a great opening to the record because it introduces you to some of the soundscapes and staples that you're going to hear throughout the rest of the release, and gives you an idea of how this is going to be a completely boundless record.
This is uber creative and breaks down genres and walls with ease.
This is definitely a record that has many fewer boundaries than whatever you may be used to, or whatever the norm is. That's part of the fun.
The track is followed up by "out of the slumber", which comes in with a different sort of pop synthesizer, delivering some fun rhythm and color, and this is blended with live percussion and drumming. The percussion element is unreal.
A lot of the energy comes from the percussive elements of the record, whether they're digital or natural. It adds such a massive drive and backbone to this whole thing, but also delivers some of that rambunctiousness I mentioned earlier.
This is where a lot of that almost frantic energy is breeding from, and it's absolutely outstanding.
As the song unfolds, you have more synthesizers that are sort of deepening, cinematic, and edgy.
This track definitely engulfs you. There's a strange way that some of these songs come on like this one, have the ability to just swallow you up.
"Esoteric" starts delivering some of the heavier sounds with edgy synths and what sound like guitars performing rock riffs, but those are also sort of sampled and chopped up throughout its course.
You have a sort of blitz when it comes to the drumming as they completely thrash out on this one, almost like a speed metal track, but instead of thrashing metal guitars, you have synthesizers that are playing the riff.
You also have the heavier, more distorted sounds underneath that, but really, it's the synthesizer that is on top of everything.
One of the more experimental tracks, as if this whole thing wasn't experimental enough to begin with, is a track called "Technobabble", which definitely showcases some tight end production and more of that glitchiness, breeding synthesizers that are choppy and have a sort of decimator or amp simulator effect on them, bringing out a little bit more of that edgy underbelly.
You also have more chopped-up samples of what sound like crowds, other guitars, more synthesizers, and the whole thing comes together almost like puzzle pieces.
This is a very unique release, and it definitely has its own atmosphere that it brings out.
I love a record that takes me by surprise.
Once you listen to the first few tracks on this, you begin to expect the unexpected. This is exactly what's meant to happen because, although you get a feel for the dynamic and songwriting, you know that there's going to be some unexpected turns, branching off, and wild production tricks that make things pop.
Towards the end of the EP you have another version of "out of the slumber", but this time it's live, and you can hear that live performance energy shining through as well. I love that they put in a live element and performance on this record because it was really a bit of a different aesthetic.
The EP closes out with "Kumbayah", which is layered synthesizers playing smooth harmonies and melodies, layered but not too much. This is an overdone but rather more electronic, and sort of sounds like the soundtrack to a video game from the early 1980s.
I loved how they close out the record with this because it ends on a note that's calmer. The rest of the record is very high energy and, as I mentioned earlier, a little while, rambunctious, or even frantic.
So, I really dig how they closed out the record with something more melodic and relaxing at the end of everything.
This was all super well done, amazingly thought out, and has this amazing way to put you in a moment with the songs.
The whole record is an amazing escape and really pulls you away from wherever you are and whatever you're doing and puts you in this completely different space for a chunk of time.
To have a sit-down with the band to find out where exactly this all comes from and what might be coming up next.
So, while you listen to this EP, have a read-through of our interview with The Bifrucated below.
Remember where you heard it first.
Hey and thanks so much for taking the time! Let's start with Spiked Lemonade! The record had a brilliant blend of rambunctious metal, rock, and electronic! Where did this EP come from?
A: No problem, thank you for having me. Lemonade/Spiked Lemonade is the product of a bitter moment in time for The Bifurcated. My band mate who was the writing force quit three weeks prior the 2025 spring tour.
I was given an entire basket of proverbial lemons, and when life gives you lemons make lemonade. I needed more music for a 40 minute set. As a drummer I've only ever been part of arranging, I've never written a song before I wrote this EP Lemonade. I had just recently begun experimenting with sound design so I certainly had my work cut out for me. I got to write and complete “Fractal” before leaving for tour but that was it. I wrote the beginnings of “Out of Slumber” in Victoria, BC at Gate Theory's rehearsal space 6 hours before our Victoria show. “Out of Slumber”, “Esoteric”, and “Technobabble” were all written and arranged while being on the road. One could say the EP was squeezed from the mother of necessity.
I am hearing those different styles on this release. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
The biggest one is probably the factory I worked at years ago, with so many crazy mechanical patterns. lol Joking aside, my biggest musical influences are Frank Zappa, Primus, Slipknot, Mudvayne and Noisia.
What are you performing on this record?
Every song I perform the drums. In Esoteric I performed some of the synth riffs on my akai mini play. All parts in the other songs were programmed with midi or used manipulated wave forms. I wanted to have more recorded performance but I also wanted to release a new EP fairly quickly and didn't really give myself time to learn and practice the parts.
Do you play live shows? If so, how does that work for you?
YES I absolutely play live shows and it has been working out quite well receiving an abundance of positive response. Currently all parts are played via backing tracks and I play along on my drums. I recently just got a Roland spd sx and am working out some cool material that will utilize the sampling pad. I also have a custom light show that is programmed with midi as well as video which also works as lighting.
How did this all start for you as an artist and songwriter?
Wanting to do something nobody else is doing. I wanted to write music that not only beckons a stage show but blurs boundaries between genres.
What's next for you? Working on more new releases?
I have lots coming up! I’m working on booking my 2026 cross Canada tour for this spring and summer. I have lots of great stops like Victoria, Nanaimo, Chilliwack, Prince George, Edmonton, Swift Current, Winnipeg, and Halifax. I am also working on my next EP to be released this fall 2026.
Q: Did you record this at a home studio setup, or a big studio?
I recorded this in my rehearsal studio, so i guess neither? Or maybe that's still a home studio. These days we have the technology and a world of information at our finger tips. Unless you have the disposable cash to pay for a big production, save the money and record at your jam space. It also helps that my father is an audio engineer and has taught me a lot over the years, he also remastered Spiked Lemonade. I had a lot of fun experimenting and learning how to process my drums with this relesse.
Q: What kind of advice would you give to other up and coming artists trying to get heard?
Being social on social media. Participate in facebook groups, while there's lots of garbage there's also lots of great groups with great community. Share your music on social media and be proud of it… after all you put all that work into it. Get some rough live off the floor recordings and phone video to promote yourselves with. Talk about it on your feeds, make reels with your music in the background. Go out to local shows and talk to people about the music you all make. Take interest in your peers' projects and support them.
What would you say people can expect to hear on this release?
You can expect to hear nothing you've ever heard before.
Before we go, what would you want to express to fans of the music?
You are loved. Your friends and family can only love you if you're alive. Practice safe sex, test your drugs if you choose to use, and most importantly…
Have fun and stay safe, Eh!
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