Fire-Toolz: Internet Identity Explored Through Sound

Chicago-based producer Angel Marcloid, operating under the moniker Fire-Toolz, crafts experimental electronic music that delves into the multifaceted identities fostered by the internet. Her work, particularly on the album Skinless X-1, embraces a wide sonic palette, juxtaposing elements like prog-rock guitar solos with Windows notification sounds and black metal screams with guided meditations.

Skinless X-1 moves beyond the glazed-over numbness often associated with excessive web use. Instead, Marcloid excavates the complex, often contradictory, identities that users absorb and redistribute online. The album embraces a variety of genres, including black metal, trance, and new age music, all aiming to achieve sensory extremes and catharsis.

Tracks like "Elysian Fields" transform video game music into settings for intense guitar riffs, propelled by unsteady yet driving beats. On "Lethe," Marcloid's distorted vocals, reminiscent of a faulty phone line, offer a more profound emotional pull than previous works. This sonic approach invites listeners to lean in and decipher meaning amidst the noise.

The music also evokes a nostalgic fondness for the early internet, a time before online personas were inextricably linked to real-world identities and the threat of doxxing. This era allowed for more fluid experimentation with self-representation and intense connections with others, potentially leading to self-discovery. The album's soundscapes recall late '90s computing experiences, stirring together acoustic guitar, ambient drone, and slow percussion.