In a short series of instant messages via Gmail, I learned a lot about Connecticut music producer Derek Piotr. Every now and again, he loves to partake in some Dolly Parton. Oh, yeah, and he also despises synthesized tones–or maybe he’s got a love-hate relationship with tone in general.

Derek’s latest album, Agora, is an eerie series of sonic explorations. They kind of sound like something horrifyingly terrible is just about to happen. Some are vocal, some aren’t. Some are noisy, some are surprisingly accessible. But what they all have in common is they all share some sort of aural challenge.

If you’re the type of person who values sounds over songs, then this album and Derek’s Soundcloud page are worth a visit.