Rex The Dog – Vortex

Like “Crasher,” “Vortex” builds unhurriedly but purposefully. In less experienced hands, the Darth Vader-esque vocal might come off as cheesy, but Williams manipulates it into the right blend of menacing, silly and weird. There’s a snaking synth that meanders across the track like rubber, along with another trick from “Crasher,” a gradual wind-down and moment of complete silence before the spacey strings kick back in to thrilling effect. In the aptly named “Elektromekanik,” fidgety, robotic FX give way to glowing synths in a manner more understated than “Vortex”, yet nonetheless effective. Williams is in his best form in years. These tracks should both win him new fans and appease old ones.