In a way it’s funny how for the past weeks I have longed for nothing but a little break from my musical business, have prayed for nothing but silence. Needless to say that last week, when I finally couldn’t find any new tunes to discuss, I got completely depressed. Had the constant overexposure finally destroyed the joy that music used to present me with? Had I just become deaf to the mysteries of oscillation? Had my brain finally shut down all acoustic treatment in a last and desperate attempt to save me from my beloved bass and breaks? And why would it do such a thing? Questions upon questions, but the regular reader of this until last week weekly writing will not be surprised as I present no answer to these issues at all: sufficient to say that there is some new music out worth the attention of every sentient being equipped with ears.
We begin this issue’s little three part-resurrection with DuoScience and A-Negative’s collaborative Basket Case EP, whose two tracks are amazingly light-footed and heavy-weighted at the same time. Especially the a-side, Step Off (-I wonder how many times a title may actually be repeated before someone bothers-) with its tenderly haunted vibe is a wondrous melting of seductive breaks, funky spooks and eloquent basses spiced with that gnarly something you don’t want to miss in your low-end conversations. On the flipside of things, the dreamy Basket Case offers a more simplistic approach with its subtly encrusted subbass movements and overall meditativeness; it also amasses some groove, but is generally a little overshadowed by its sound companion. If you long for amazement however, you should definitely check out this Brazillian-Slovakian teamwork.
DuoScience, A-Negative – Basket Case EP (SMPTM)
The second step in freeing myself from the tempting nothingness of a world without Neurofunk (-o what a boring and sad world, let me tell you-) is Ammunition Recordings’ Talents LP Vol 1, an energy-driven compound of fast-paced floor shredders and memorable nasty moments; all aiming to break the boundaries of the mind, some attempting to do so through cracking the skull. Cruk’s Punisher does a pretty good job in introducing what the album’s all about: Some eerie alien atmosphere, a sinister speech sample, a few mighty knocks from the sticky bass and we’re rolling. Thinking twice is definitely not an option here. Punisher is followed by one of my favourites, Cosmistic’s Mystery Box; a track that produces some twisted bass mutations before the restless pounding of its hilariously lo-fi drums drive it into Marimba nightmare land. Another great contribution to the compilation comes from Dub Head, whose deep Eclipse is probably the most civilized song of Ammunition’s malign decalogue, among whose stand-out tracks I’d also count Christ’s insanely driving robotic underwater trance Hidden Depth and Karbon’s Neuria. Though it must be noted that the overall compilation factor is not very high, meaning even the unmentioned tracks are not bad at all in this raw accumulation devoid of fillers. If you liked last month’s Sinuous compilation or have a genuine taste for techy high-energy Neurofunk, you’re gonna love this one; if not, I wonder what you are doing here anyway.
Cruk, Cosmistic, Damage Inc, Dub Head, Equid, Object, No Remorse, Christ, Biopssia, Karbon – Talents LP Vol 1 (Ammunition Recordings )
The last part of this week’s redemptive trinity comes from Dispatch Recordings, who issue a prophylactic album sampler in preparation for the upcoming release of Survival & Silent Witness’ full length duo debut. Now one may of course doubt the necessity of such prereleases (and rightfully so if the tracks reappear on the actual album), but after long hours I’ve spent with this sampler I came to rather question the music, or at least touch the holy seal of sanctity that usually comes with Dispatch releases. The surface impression of course is smooth as ever, the production incredibly balanced, transparent, thick, and superior, the tracks themselves are varied and entertaining; and yet there is something about this pentalogy that doesn’t feel right: It’s the disintegrating tendency within most of the tracks that (at least for me) after spending some time with them eventually makes them fall apart into somewhat disparate sounds – a process similar to the one that occurred on Enei’s Machines album. The mentioned clarity seems to only help the process once it’s started, since it makes the parts even easier to separate; needless to mention that it is completely irreversible. But there is still hope that this phenomenon is not really widespread, and since I remember liking this record very much when I first heard it, I sincerely recommend to take your chances with it while you still can – it could be worth it. Godspeed!
Survival, Silent Witness, Klute – In from the Wild Album Sampler (Dispatch Recordings)
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Sentient being equipped with ears’ music source: http://www.facebook.com/Subsphere
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