Destructo Swarmbots

With a name like that, Queens, NY drone wielder Mike Mare’s brainchild would be better off laser gunning Daleks in 'Doctor Who'. New outing 'Clear Light' is quite a chilly affair. On the monumental 40-minute opener ‘Banta’, Mare’s concoction from his arsenal of prepared instruments and textural archives twist and chirp before the intense ‘drifting vessel’ drone in the background takes a life of its own and navigates dead subterranean passages before settling in the tundra stillness of detached Arctic permafrost.

Next, ‘Phases’ delivers a warmer tone amidst the background machinery samples and a persistent, stringent guitar scrape that Khanate/Phantomsmasher/Khlyst sonic agitator James Plotkin, here on mastering duties, would deliver a nod to. But the serrated edginess is still there on ‘Fireberry’, a lingering perception that a great mental distance has been travelled here. Another handiwork, somewhere between Fear Falls Burning and Birchville Cat Motel, that should claim its slot in your ambient drone collection. - Terrorizer

Without vocals or outside stimuli, “Phases” and
“Fireberry” seem like sketches of larger works yet to be created. Still, “Banta” is a fantastic
showcase for Mare’s fragile, feedback-ladenguitarpatterns—theteasersMarehasbeen
providing in recent live performances don’t do it justice. It’s where James Plotkin (who mastered
therecord)wouldbegoingwithPhantomsmasherifhedevotedasmuchtimetoitashisother
projects, andoneofthebestpuredroneexercisessincetheMerzbow/BoriscollaborationSun
BakedSnowCave.SomefolkswillguzzlethatKool-Aidwithnohesitation,somewouldrather
leaveittothepants-poopersatSunnO)))shows—there’s a potentially instructive lesson on
ClearLightforboth. - Decibel Magazine

Noise comes in all textures and tones, but there's something truly unique about Destructo
Swarmbots' experimentation. Somewhere between the creaking ambiance of Larsen and the
incessantly clipping Xela, Destructor Swarmbots will ruin your life. - XLR8R

The "band" is actually one guy (Mike Mare) from NY, although for live
performances other players are sometimes involved, meaning that a live action could be a
solo work or feature an actual band. Either way, Mare is definitely the head visionary in
charge. "Banta" is a long, drawn-out (forty minutes!) exercise in spaced-out psychedelic
ambient noise, a droning, drifting soundscape for journeys through the far, frozen
reaches of outer space, or perhaps a journey to the center of your mind; either way, this
is truly excellent music for zoning out. The three remaining tracks are considerably
shorter and a bit grittier, while still plenty enamored of the almighty drone and
psychedelic shimmering. This is probably as close as you'll ever get to outer space without
ingesting lots of acid. The man's droning psych pimp hand is strong...! - The One True Dead Angel