Fortress EP by Jane Doe – Full Review & Analysis

Some records arrive with a backstory. Others are the story. On her debut full EP for VTO Records, South Australia’s Jane Doe delivers a scorched-earth statement of intent with Fortress — a four-track barrage of razor-edged neurofunk that feels as cinematic as it is brutal.

From the moment Stood Up opens the EP, you are dropped into a world already burning. The track builds with tense atmospherics before opening up into serrated basslines and ironclad drums, locking into a kind of synthetic warfare. It is sharp, efficient and completely unforgiving. The kind of opener that wastes no time announcing who is in control.

All In follows with tighter percussion and more midrange pressure, sitting somewhere between classic neuro and modern industrialism. There is a mechanical momentum to this one, built for movement but not without tension. The details here matter. Subtle pitch bends, restrained vocal fragments and clever use of space give the track a lived-in, war-worn quality.

But the standout moment arguably comes with Pieces, the third cut and the most emotionally ambiguous of the set. Built around fractured pads and echoing synth textures, it feels cold and calculated but strangely reflective. This is where Jane’s talent for contrast comes through, blending melodic fragments into the chaos without ever softening the impact.

Closing track POP shifts gears again, offering something even more unhinged and volatile. With a snare that hits like gunfire and a groove that feels on the edge of collapse, it is easily the most aggressive tune on the release. This one does not ask questions. It simply storms in.

There is an overarching concept at play throughout Fortress. One of collapse, resistance and hybrid identity. Whether that narrative came first or emerged from the tracks themselves, the sound design and structure suggest a vision rooted in dystopian science fiction. It is not hard to picture a post-human protagonist navigating ruins with this in their neural feed.

It also marks an important milestone for VTO Records. With the Cells Interlinked series already pushing futuristic sounds, Fortress feels like a defining release for the label. Jane Doe may still be early in her career, but there is nothing hesitant about this record.

Fortress does not just hit hard. It lands with purpose, control and a voice that is entirely her own. An essential listen from a producer who is clearly just getting started.

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