London-based electronic producer Visionist (Louis Carnell) has evolved from a cutting-edge dance producer to an uncategorizable sonic explorer, constructing emotionally gripping pieces rooted in personal expression. He started out producing a club-focused blend of grime, dubstep, and U.K. garage in the early 2010s, and his tracks gradually became more spacious and atmospheric, combining complex beat patterns, chopped-up vocal samples, and cavernous bass tones. His first two albums, 2015's Safe and 2017's Value, were challenging and highly personal experimental releases that addressed anxiety and self-worth. With 2021's A Call to Arms, he had moved far beyond U.K. bass music, creating music closer to post-industrial art-pop and experimental ambient, and abandoning his signature samples in favor of his own vocals.

Since first gaining exposure on London's pioneering dance radio station Rinse FM in 2010, Visionist began racking up gigs worldwide and releasing digital and vinyl releases on labels such as Left Blank, 92 Points, and Signal Life. He founded a digital label called Lost Codes in 2012, and contributed a remix to its first release, Unknown Vectors by experimental grime producer Sd Laika. Appearances followed on grime compilations released by Big Dada (Grime 2.0) and Keysound (Keysound Allstars, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, This Is How We Roll), and 12" releases surfaced on Leisure System (Snakes), Ramp Recordings ("M"/"Secrets"), and Lit City Trax (two volumes of I'm Fine). Additionally, he remixed Kelis' song "Friday Fish Fry" in 2014, as well as tracks by Ghostpoet, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Glasser, and others.

Visionist relaunched Lost Codes as simply Codes in 2015, releasing 12" EPs by Acre/Filter Dread and Kamixlo. Also that year, he issued his dark, punishing full-length debut, Safe, on Bill Kouligas' Pan label. His second full-length, the harsh, explosive Value, appeared on Big Dada in 2017. He contributed to Ben Chatwin's remix album Altered Signals in 2019. Visionist signed to Mute for the release of his third full-length, 2021's A Call to Arms. While more abstract and experimental than his previous efforts, the album is also his most emotionally open and collaborative work, featuring his own vocals for the first time in addition to appearances by singer/songwriter Haley Fohr (Circuit des Yeux, Jackie Lynn), black midi drummer Morgan Simpson, Japanese noise legend K.K. Null, and others. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi