Ital Tek's fifth full-length is drastically different from anything else he's done before, retaining no more than traces of the dubstep, juke, and jungle influences present on his prior recordings. Beats are present, but they're muted and sometimes buried under the washes of synths and altered guitars; likewise, the bass tones are tense and anxious. This is music for solemn reflection rather than dancing, yet it's still informed by the dynamics of club music production. "Cobra" and the
Kuedo-like "Aquamarine" feature the most upfront beats and rhythms, coming close to the trap phenomenon, but significantly more brooding. The trembling "Memory Shard" utilizes gamelan-like percussion and nervous loops before abruptly shifting to a broken-down rhythm. The album reaches its dramatic climax with "Jenova," which simmers with cinematic tension. Hollowed is a dark, sometimes devastating album that finds
Ital Tek letting go of his previous methods of composition, resulting in his most personal, accomplished work yet. ~ Paul Simpson