Video Premiere: Mutant Joe – ‘Atrophy’

Brisbane-based producer and DJ Mutant Joe releases visuals for the single ‘Atrophy’, a taster of his upcoming EP Cortisol which will be self-released on the 28th of October 2020. Approaching this project with the intent to explore new sounds and ideas in a different direction from previous projects, Joe once again focuses on merging various genres and production techniques, this time with an emphasis on ambient and bass music. “Anxiety has always been a massive part of my life, specifically in rather intense physical and psychosomatic forms,” he explains on the origins of the EP. “Through my journey to manage these symptoms, I was forced to begin understanding my situation from a purely physical/medical perspective. It lead me to understand the role various hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol play in the regulation of stress in the body. While I try not to attach too much meaning to my music, the tracks on this project attempt to touch on my own personal perspectives and experiences with anxiety through ambient tones and left-field rhythms.”


Director Luca Rain on the video: “This video explores notions of transience and dissociation using renders of various empty spaces around my home city.”

On the Cortisol EP: “When you encounter a perceived threat — such as a large dog barking at you during your morning walk — your hypothalamus, a tiny region at your brain’s base, sets off an alarm system in your body. Through a combination of nerve and hormonal signals, this system prompts your adrenal glands, located atop your kidneys, to release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol.

Adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain’s use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues.

Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or detrimental in a fight-or-flight situation. It alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes. This complex natural alarm system also communicates with the brain regions that control mood, motivation and fear.”

Cortisol is out on the 28th of October 2020: https://mutantjoe.bandcamp.com/album/cortisol

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