The month in music, October
The Month in Music, September
October 17, 2023
Comment: Rising tempos and the role of social media in electronic music
November 21, 2023
Four new releases that have piqued our interest this month.
Silverlining Dubs 12
Silverlining has been making exquisite house and in many ways defining the UK sound for longer than I have been alive, and he shows no sign of slowing down with this latest addition to his Silverlining Dubs series. On the A-side, Comares represents something of a left-turn from his usual fare. Its opening 90 seconds sounds like something that might have been released on Hessle or Hemlock a decade ago, before the emergence of searching synths and vocals take it closer to Warp territory a decade before that. The drum programming is a delight – each repeat listen brings a new loop to enjoy – and the introduction of an acid line halfway through raises the temperature, providing a nice tool for upping the ante on the dancefloor.
Downtime delivers a more conventional – although no less welcome – Silverlining offering. It’s a track that in less capable hands might fall into the realm of functional tech house, but instead becomes an auditory delight. The initial bassline has an appealing zip to it, dancing across the track, before descending into darker, heads-down territory with some classic 303 business. Regular tom and snare fills give the drums an intriguing, almost improvised feel – the kind of small but important touch that adds variety to a set of rollers. Timelessness is perhaps a cliché, but when applied to Asad Rizvi it feels wholly appropriate.
WTCHCRFT
Sleepless in Brooklyn
For a while now, New York DJ and producer WTCHCRFT has been a staple part of the Brooklyn techno scene.
Presently, he continues to gain traction, featuring ever more frequently on lineups throughout Europe whilst also gaining the recent attention from the likes of Groove Magazine and DJ Mag.
His latest release Sleepless in Brooklyn on Local Action sub-label Clasico embodies the ever-bold and playful nature of New York’s leftfield techno scene. Elements of jackin’, booty-tech and old-school acid are all features of the EP along with an analog sounding toughness that wouldn’t seem out of place on an Ultramajic release. The 4 tracks display their own individuality and offer an array of unique sounding components expertly tethered together with creative flair.
Despite all 4 providing club ready slammers, Back to Frontin is a personal highlight of the EP. 3 minutes of electro-styled drum work with rugged 303 sequencing, the simple but astoundingly effective basis of the track. Additions of vocal loops, vicious sounding percs and busy hats build the pace and energy as it progresses. It is a short, to the point, dance floor destroyer that is sure to heat up clubs in Brooklyn and beyond during these cold winter months.
Tom VR
Heart Can Still Somersault
Watching the evolution of Tom VR’s creative offerings over the past few years has been as addictive as it has been enjoyable. Ever since first hearing his releases on Chester-based label Valby Rotary it was clear that the producer’s contribution to the electronic music scene was driven by something more than the sole intention of making people dance. With a unique ability to criss-cross between genres and tempos whilst maintaining a distinct emotively-potent sound Tom VR never fails to pluck listeners heartstrings and keep their feet tapping simultaneously.
In his most recent release on the mighty Ghostly International, the sonic provisions are yet again bang on the money. Heart Can Somersault is an atmospheric thumper that layers robust pads with a complex synth pattern that undergoes a never-ending metamorphosis which transitions from the ethereal into to the dark & eerie in silky smooth fashion. Prime material for any DJ that wants to make a statement of intent off the back of a handover, I hope to hear this one in the mixer in the not-too-distant future.
Orme follows a similar vibe but with more fluttery percussion at play. This is then combined with a teasing of short low-end interludes alongside grungy industrial stabs which rise & fall seducing the listener into a dark hypnosis. An exit from this trance is then swiftly provided by a battery of kicks & snares which catapult the track forward to an emphatic crescendo.
GPS says I’m flying so I guess I am is somewhat softer. Awash with Tom VR’s signature glittering arps, snappy hats and stuttered vocal loops, this one’s a real introspective builder. It lulls you into a false sense that this may just be a tune for appreciation outside the club walls until it kicks into gear. In what feels like a fresh & noticeably faster take on much of the IDM that graces the Ghostly International archive (think Lusine’s album A Certain Distance) this is a fine piece of music which takes the EP’s No 1 spot for me/us.
Chaotic Folds finishes the EP out with a blend of flanged hats & snares that are fused with a delicate acid line,simmering away in the background until extra-terrestrial sirens and hefty kicks are thrown into the mix. The end result is a tripped out roller that is not for the faint of heart.
Tomasso Pizzelli
Dub Shifter
Tommasso Pizzeli joins forces with prolific Moroccan Imprint, Worst Date Records, to deliver four club-ready tracks that would fit snugly into anyone's record-bag.
Title-track Dub Shifter kicks things off with a stripped back four-to-the-floor kick, interspersed with those deep housey strings and synths we all love. This first track compounds tension effortlessly, before the release exposes a cool little bassline that’s been brewing in the back. It’s no surprise to see multiple remixes of this groover on the track-list.
With a more pronounced build, faster kicks and an acid infused stuttering bassline, Rainy Trip plays the bigger, meaner older brother to Dub Shifter. This second track maintains the feel of the first, lifting similar elements to create a song suitable for the peak-time spot in any reputable dark club space.
Dub Shifter does an excellent job at creating 4 aligned tracks that somehow bring a feeling of sonic diversity to the listener. The EP concludes with Tommasso flexing a bit of diversity, layering basslines together to create a sound that would elicit a scrunched face from a variety of partygoers - This is music that will have the tech-house crowd singing kumbaya around the fire with UK bass heads.
