Komok’s Quasi-Human[e] arrives as a carefully weighted introduction to the wider universe of Protopia, setting out its coordinates with restraint rather than spectacle. Mid-tempo and instrumental, the track unfolds at 115 BPM, moving with a deliberate, almost meditative pulse that resists the logic of peak-time club dynamics. Instead, it positions itself in a more ambiguous space between deep house, IDM, and underground dance culture, where groove is present but never overstated, and atmosphere carries as much narrative weight as rhythm.
The rhythmic framework is built on gritty, tactile drums that feel intentionally imperfect. Kicks land with a rounded heaviness, while hi-hats and percussive details flicker in and out, slightly uneven, as if humanised by design. This looseness gives the track a subtle sense of instability, an important element in its overall character. Rather than driving forward aggressively, the rhythm rolls inward, creating a hypnotic loop that invites extended listening. The groove borrows from acid house and big beat traditions, but it is filtered through a more introspective lens, closer to IDM’s fascination with repetition and micro-variation than to classic dancefloor release.
At the centre of Quasi-Human[e] sits its bassline: rolling, elastic, and persistently physical. It functions less as a hook and more as a gravitational force, anchoring the track while allowing other elements to orbit freely. The bass interacts closely with the drums, forming a low-end dialogue that feels instinctive, almost bodily, reinforcing the track’s quasi-organic tension between machine logic and human presence. There is a quiet funk embedded in this interaction, a nod to early electronic traditions where groove emerged from limitation rather than excess.
The synth work is where Komok’s identity becomes most pronounced. Warped analogue tones drift across the stereo field, sometimes sharp and acidic, sometimes blurred and distant. These sounds are not presented as melodic statements but as textures in motion, constantly shifting shape. Filters open and close gradually, modulations feel slow and intentional, and nothing resolves too cleanly. This refusal of clarity contributes to the track’s otherworldly quality, evoking imagined technologies and unfamiliar environments. The sonic palette suggests space travel not through cinematic grandeur, but through abstraction—dark corridors, flickering panels, low gravity.
Atmospherically, Quasi-Human[e] maintains a controlled tension throughout. There is no traditional breakdown, no dramatic crescendo, only a steady deepening of mood. The track seems designed for late-night listening, whether on headphones or in a dimly lit room, where details emerge over time rather than announcing themselves immediately. Its underground spirit lies precisely in this patience, in trusting the listener to stay with it long enough to notice the subtleties.
Behind the project is Alessandro Inglima, a London-based Italian composer whose background between music and film is quietly embedded in the structure of the track. Quasi-Human[e] behaves almost like a scene rather than a song, unfolding spatially rather than linearly. This cinematic sensibility aligns naturally with Protopia’s broader concept as an audiovisual work, where sound and image coexist as parts of a speculative narrative. The accompanying visual microfilm reinforces this approach, extending the track’s themes without dictating a fixed interpretation.
As the first single from Protopia, Quasi-Human[e] functions less as a statement of intent and more as an open door. It introduces a world that feels simultaneously retro and futuristic, shaped by analogue sensibilities and digital artefacts, familiarity and estrangement. Komok’s genre-defying approach avoids easy categorisation, instead focusing on texture, groove, and atmosphere as tools for world-building. It is a release of notable quality, one that reflects a confident entry into electronic music and establishes a compelling foundation for what follows.