PANGAEA – Pangaea E.P

January 27, 2010

Hessle Audio had a great 2009 and one of it’s bosses, Pangaea, has a lot to live up to in 2010. He was responsible for two incredible releases last year- ‘Router’ and ‘Memories’.

He has an amazing ability to combine sounds and styles, fusing them into a dark, mongrel dubstep. ‘Router’ was a pre-curser to the most common and exciting sound of late last year (2-step patterns, mutated, chopped-up vocals) adopted by the likes of Joy Orbison, Deadboy and even cropping up on Four Tet’s latest. ‘Memories’ on the other hand was a slower, soulful, mourning vocal track (and one of my favourite tracks of last year).

This 6 track E.P highlights the scope of his sound, combining dark, heavy dubstep, anthemic garage, Warp-style IDM and late-night, hazy soul.

For me, he does that latter best, and final track ‘Because Of You’ is just beautiful. Sparse, mournful, but literally aching with soul, it’s right up there with ‘Memories’ and confirms Pangaea as one to seriously watch in 2010.

(I cannot recommend Hessle Audio highly enough BTW.)

Four Tet – There Is Love In You

January 26, 2010

Four Tet - There Is Love In You

This is Kieran Hebden’s first album in years. 2003’s Rounds was a masterpiece that propelled Hebden into the limelight and perhaps prompted the invention of a new genre, folktronica. Two years later he released ‘Everything Ecstatic’, and the meatier, funkier, ‘clubbier’ sound suggested the desire to disassociate himself from the folktronica tag.
Now, almost 5 years later he has released ‘There Is Love In You’, and this time the two styles have been combined to create a brilliant, genre-less sound that is as organic as it is futuristic. Lead single ‘Love Cry’- amazing, hypnotic,  tribal 2-step,  ‘Circling’- taking a simple riff and turning into an Orbital style slice of techno euphoria, and the housey but beautiful ‘Sing’ are the stand out tracks but what is so great about this is how complete it feels as an album.
This will appeal to anyone with even the slightest interest in dance music and confirms Hebden as one of the UK’s leading electronic innovators. Highly recommended.

LINDSTROM & CHRISTABELLE – Real Life Is No Cool

January 25, 2010

A wonderful, melting-pot of an album. Referencing Michael Jackson, disco, 80’s funk and house to create a really focussed, really great pop record.

LONGSTONE – KABUKI
 (Ochre)

April 19, 2009

Armed with an array of birdsong-esque bleeps, rings, toots and whirs, some so close together they morph drill-like into a buzzing swarm, the sense of ‘technology versus nature’ Longstone offer on this, their eighth album, leaves you wondering such things as what sort of wonderful creatures could make a noise like this in the wild. Melodies drift in and out, some building tension while others merely see fit to provide momentary interest; resulting in a sound which is often peaceful whilst simultaneously kinetic and fidgety…

…To read the full review pick up a copy of nham music magazine from Mid-May