Under the moniker Fis, New Zealand-born, Berlin-based producer Oliver Peryman has carved out an unflinchingly original sound that resists easy categorization or description. His unpredictable compositions feature crushing, non-linear rhythms, brutal distortion, and innovative sound design. Fis began releasing abstract drum'n'bass 12"s in 2011, including two releases on the fearlessly experimental Samurai Horo label. 2012 EP The Commons found him flirting with grime, albeit with stilted rhythms and unwelcoming synth textures. Fis' 2013 release, Homologous, pushed his sound further into uncharted territory, with shuddering rhythms that barely had any resemblance to drum'n'bass or grime, instead coming closer to the work of experimental electronic labels such as Pan and Opal Tapes. Soon after, his profile was raised by a Resident Advisor podcast consisting entirely of his own (mostly unreleased) tracks, as well as Preparations, his debut EP for Tri Angle. Iterations followed quickly in spring 2014, combining raindrop-like thundering percussion with layers of noise. Both releases were well-received, with confounded journalists hard-pressed to describe Peryman's unique sound. Fis launched a new label called Loopy with the release of 2014 EP Speech Spirits, another oblong chunk of convulsing distorted rhythms, which featured remixes by Kassem Mosse and Oren Ambarchi. Fis' debut full-length from Loopy, The Blue Quicksand Is Going Now, was released to critical acclaim in June 2015. A year later, Fis signed to Subtext for the release of his second album, From Patterns to Details. Darker and more abrasive, it was even more highly thought of than its predecessor, ending up on many critics' year-end best-of lists. Keeping up the momentum, he had another album ready to drop just eight months later. Clear Stones, released once again on Subtext, was his most uncompromising release to date. A collaboration with Maori folk instrumentalist Rob Thorne, it saw recordings of ancient traditional instruments manipulated and shaped by Fis into dense and otherworldly soundscapes. ~ Paul Simpson