EP I

Released in late 2012, EP I serves as the foundational manifesto for Carpenter Brut and the broader darksynth subgenre. While the artist's identity remained largely mysterious at the time, the music spoke with a distinct French electronic pedigree, blending the filter-heavy 'French Touch' house tradition with the macabre sensibilities of 1970s and 80s horror soundtracks (most notably John Carpenter and Goblin). The EP is structured to build tension, opening with the nearly seven-minute 'Escape From Midwich Valley,' which functions more like a film score than a traditional electronic track. This release predates the massive surge in synthwave popularity fueled by media like Hotline Miami, yet it contains the DNA of that entire movement. Critics often point to this EP as the moment synthwave shed its 'kitsch' 80s revivalism in favor of a more serious, aggressive, and metal-influenced sonic palette. It remains a high-water mark for the genre's production standards.