Hybris is a state of dissoluteness, of loss of control, of greed and of lustfulness. Following that motto, Wice takes his listeners on a journey through a hybristic process on his second Steinlach EP, which chooses an enchanting and euphemistic entrance into hybris with Absent (No Aggression). Gentle pads create a peaceful and dreamy world that is turned into a fascinating landscape of sound by trippy drums and dopey synths and so pushes wide open the gate to hybris. The threateningly booming HB11 then finally enters the state of hybris: synths and drums pump adrenaline in heads and bodies, dancing turns into greed, the complete lack of control sets in. That lack of control riots towards its peak with the eponymous Hybris, which tears the listener in technoid and gritty manner into the abyss of hybris and holds him captive down there. Hybris is followed by Nemesis, the divine punishment ending in death: Wice interprets this transition towards Nemesis with Hertz, a playful and breaky good-night kiss, which feels pretty damn good and resonates bittersweetly.
Hedonism in its purest form means nothing but adjusting one s life and ambition towards pleasure and joy as well as the prevention of pain and sorrow. Following that concept, Wice s first EP takes the listener along on a journey of extremes: persistently strolling between sensual desire, ecstasy and lust as well as the deepest abysses of human sensitivities. Coherently, just kiddin drags the listener right into Wice s universe of fabulous oppositions without any prior warning: the Peak Time Killer, inspired by the love of Detroit Techno of the 90ies, exhibits irrepressible energy, velocity and surprising twists and turns. Driven by the progressive drive of the drum patterns, the voyager, trapped in a mesh of percussions, wanders confused and disoriented on dance floors looking for support and, as if out of the blue, finally gets released by the warm synthline and gently taken by the hand. Simply just kiddin. When legs are broken, things have to be done can be described as a small masterpiece of urban, intelligent dance music. The composition, which ranges in between complexity and simplicity, with its breaking beats in combination with spheric pads shows up the necessity that one should, despite setbacks, consistently remind oneself that life, love and music reveal their most beautiful aspects in a balanced and smooth flow. The eponymous track hedonism draws a painting of obscure and rugged techno landscapes, which attract the listener magically, even though their beauty and grace can only be assumed at first glance. Once identified, the shimmering pads, the forceful bassline and the impulsive percussions unfold a world riddled with the most beautiful abysses and animality hedonism in its purest and most sinful form alike. With blind certainty a downtempo piece rounds off the EP, which is supposed to be comprehended as a reminder for all hedonists that blind trust may have positive as well as negative consequences. The hopeful basic mood of the song, however, always lets the light at the end of the tunnel shine through, which emphasizes the optimistic exit of Wice s world of hedonism.
