Crowsnest Audio, Subsidia Records, Kannibalen Records, PRIME Audio
Musical artist
Sven Selka (born 23 February 1996), profesionally known as Code: Pandorum, formerly INHUMAN and Static:Reset, is a German musician, record producer, and salesman. He is credited with being one of the pioneers of "deathstep" music and the incorporation of orchestral music into dubstep.[1] He has also done numerous remixes for other artists such as Riot Ten, Modestep, and Apashe.[2][3][4]
Early life
Selka first began music production in 5th grade, when a friend introduced him to FL Studio, and first began electronic music and heavy metal music, but when he discovered dubstep when he was 14, he started to take influence from the style.[1][5] He was inspired by artists such as Borgore, Bratkilla, Mantis, and Sadhu.[6]
Music career
Later, he began producing in the early deathstep music scene under the name Static:Reset, his first official release was in 2013, an EP titled Profanity.[1][7] Then, in 2014, he changed his name to Code: Pandorum with the release of the Tears of Kali EP.[1][8] In 2016, he released his debut album, God LP and a later reissue called God's Army.[1][9][10] In 2021, he changed his name from Code: Pandorum to INHUMAN with a single called "Rapture",[11][12][13] then in 2024 he changed his name back to Code: Pandorum. Sven has also been the founder and CEO of independent label Crowsnest Audio, co-founded with Lord Swan3x and TenGraphs. Crowsnest Audio was founded on 2016 in Germany.
Musical style
While his music is typically referred to as "deathstep" and he is affiliated with the deathstep music circle, Selka has stated he would not describe his music as "deathstep" due to the prevalence of melodic dubstep throughout his music, and has transitioned into more melodic dubstep after changing from Code: Pandorum to INHUMAN.[11][1] His musical style is described as dark dubstep with orchestral elements such as sampling of church choir and classical music to create pre-bass drop tension. He has states that his music is akin to a horror film, and his music stages resemble plot stages: he creates a dark atmosphere (exposition), then the bass drop approaches, (building tension), and then the bass drop initiates (climax).[1]
Influence
Sven has been a large influence on dubstep music and inspired deathstep artists such as TenGraphs, Lord Swan3x, and FaceSplit. In the early 2010s, deathstep's origin, it was an underground dubstep subgenre, but Sven popularised deathstep styles into mainstream with his albums.[1]
Naming
From 2014 to 2021, Sven's alias was Code: Pandorum, a name inspired by the film of the same name, and the colon stylisation was from INHUMAN's 2013 to 2014 alias Static:Reset (on advice from fellow musician Bratkilla).[11][1] There is no known meaning for the names Static:Reset or INHUMAN. In 2024, Sven changed his name back to Code: Pandorum.
