The catheter provides us with an interesting image for thinking about the idea of tension. Composed of synthetic materials, a catheter provides an artificial means of voiding the bladder when the body’s control mechanisms for achieving this have failed. This control mechanism includes the bladder, urethra, and the neural networks that unite them. The catheter is surgically merged with the bladder, cutting out the use of the urethra. Without the involvement of the urethra, the tension and release of urinating is replaced by a continual flow. This felt tension is displaced to areas of the body where the catheter invades; although, as with all synthetics in our life, we can imagine a seamless merging of body and device.
Today we are premiering “Catéter” by Ro Stambuk, from a split EP with ASTROSUKA and Bungalovv, entitled Desarme, out tomorrow on the forward-thinking Argentinian club music label TRRUENO. On Desarme, the three producers traverse sonic territory informed by such things as metallurgy, urban scenes, jungle atmospheres and surgical elements. Listen to “Catéter” below and explore tension as it is developed through the interplay of panning emergency sirens and transcendent synth melodies, all united under frantic percussive elements.
by Sam Mulholland.