Independent Artist of the Week: Third Space

June 28th 2021

Image: Hector Jonathon McKenzie Clark

Third Space specialises in dissonant electronic worlds that experiment with hesitancy, tension and release.

The Melbourne/Naarm-based artist creates percussion-heavy tracks, using rhythm and timbre to create vast ambient spaces. His most recent EP, Pattern of Spring, released on Sydney’s Pure Space, is a sprawling voyage into the auditory abyss. It’s a deep, complex collection of tracks, and arguably his most club-focused work yet. 

The key to Third Space’s work is his use of rhythm. Each track on Pattern of Spring showcases his skill in manipulating tempo and beats in a new way, from the pulsating drum pattern of ‘Pulsing Delay Mod’ to the subtle calm of the percussion in ‘Nonlinear (For Pillows)’. The EP also demonstrates his ability to melt genres together, never quite settling on one path. Opener ‘170 Shitshow’ is an urgent, swirling track, with jarring electronic pulses competing against intricate percussion. ‘Pulsing Delay Mod’ carries over the interplay between polyrhythms found in ‘170’, underpinning it with an energised percussive pattern. ‘Pulsing Delay Mod’ becomes more expansive as it goes on, bringing in a range of ambient layers to create a dense auditory experience.

‘Cyclical Pan Workout’ dips into an eerier, uncertain atmosphere. The track flows from one soundscape to the next, with the underlying drum pattern the only certainty. The evolution of the track leaves the listener far away from where they began. However, closer ‘Nonlinear (For Pillows)’ brings about a final sense of closure. Of all the tracks it feels the most optimistic and peaceful.

According to Third Space, ‘Nonlinear’ “offers re-contextualised melodies and percussion, providing a sense of closure and sonic bookending by linking tones and timbres referenced throughout the EP into a pillow-like state.”

Pattern of Spring is an exciting taste of the atmospheric soundscapes Third Space creates. Having launched his own label Nice Setting in 2020, along with a residency on Melbourne’s Skylab Radio, whatever comes next for Third Space will be sure to impress.

Tune in to Up For It with Courtney Ammenhauser every Monday from 6am to meet your Independent Artist of the Week!