Planetary Assault Systems - Planetary People (Ostgut Ton)
Luke Slater’s Planetary People is an album I’ve been looking forward to for a long time, especially after Plantae in 2019. What I’ve always loved about his work as Planetary Assault Systems is how each release feels like a distillation of live shows and his instinct for rhythmic, hypnotic intensity.
Across thirteen tracks, Planetary People moves through tribal percussion, distorted rave structures and darker, more industrial forms of momentum. The second half is where the record really tightens its grip, pushing from the dream-like frenzy of “Sermon of the Light Tides” into the stuttering pressure of “Retina Burn”, the mesmeric propulsion of “Thunder Major”, and the cavernous brutality of “Beton Brut”. Even in its most relentless moments, the production feels sharp with every layer given space to cut through.
A special shout-out also to Viron Erol Vert, who created the album artwork. The oil painting, aptly titled The Night Knows Many Creatures, the Moon Bears Our Souls, has a dreamlike colour palette that feels almost Chagall-like, perfectly matching the record’s nocturnal, otherworldly intensity.