Gatekeeper

Inspired with the dystopian sounds of cult sci-fi soundtracks, vintage VHS ‘80s horror, brooding techno, and darkwave Italo, Chicago duo David Ross and Matthew Arkell produced Gatekeeper and released their first EP, Optimus Maximus, on Fright Reports in ’09 2009. Formulating their digital ethos within their Brooklyn house, the pair tagged themselves “an immersive audiovisual knowledge” rather than music group or a creation duo. Heavily inspired by cult ‘80s documentaries The Jupiter Menace and Chronos, they released the six-track EP Giza this year 2010 on Merok Information. The EP was well-received and was along with a limited-edition VHS/Laserdisc video which referenced ‘90s CD-R images and hallucinatory metaphysical imagery. Motivated by a different range of topics — Globe Heritage sites, IMAX cinematography, the acidity squelch from the Roland TB-303, and hyper-futuristic techno, they released their debut full-length studio room record Exo on Hippo in Tanks in 2012.