Broken Note - Terminal Static (Ad Noiseam)

For those of us who have been forced to stem our vinyl intake, it's nice when a label like Ad Noiseam swoops in and neatly collects a slew of great dubstep 12"s from multiple sources. Terminal Static, featuring tracks released on Ruff, Damage as well as Ad Noiseam, is such a collection -- a near-comprehensive taste of London producers Eddie (aka Kidnappa and one half of 16 bit) and Tommy, together known as Broken Note. Imagine dubstep strung up and gutted by space marine rastas, with tense atmospheres, roaring bass lines and raging tempos that can go neck-and-neck with the likes of Excision, Rotator and DJ Hidden, and you come somewhat close to nailing the sound. Pigeonholing it as "darkstep" does a disservice to its unhinged nature. Each track is its own mechanized beast. A rogue unit. Halfway through "Meltdown" the gears noisily shift from a tribal deathmarch to frenetic drum'n'bass warfare. "Pyrotek" machineguns its way into breakcore/gabber territory. The grime of "Dubversion" (which Hecq later re-calibrates in a chop-shop fashion) is caked on so thick, it's a wonder its tank treads still move. Everywhere is the reek of corpses and napalm. This isn't a stealth mission. This is an all-out, take-no-prisoners invasion, chainguns and flame throwers blazing. Were you to send "Zealot" back in time, Terminator style, to anyone listening to Bloody Fist Records or Digital Hardcore Recordings, they'd immediately surrender... after soiling themselves. The future is frighteningly advanced. Broken Note has seen to it. Stop crying and get up, soldier. Terminal Static is the debut release by the duo on Ad Noiseam. In addition to the above mentioned Hecq remix, the CD contains a rework by Enduser appearing on the album as I Am The Sun. Check out Broken Note's previous 12", Let 'Em Hang / Meltdown (Ad Noiseam, 2009), War In the Making / No Struggle (Ruff, 2008), and  Fueling The Fire EP (Damage, 2008). In addition to the above mentioned names, this release is recommended for the likes of Reso, Innasekt, King Cannibal, and Hektagon.

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Review prepared by Autodestruct exclusively for Headphone Commute

See also Two and a Half Questions with Broken Note

myspace.com/brokennoteuk
myspace.com/adnoiseam | adnoiseam.net

Jega - Geometry (Planet Mu)

Here's a brief history of Planet Mu, which is very much relevant to Jega. Planet Mu was born in 1995, and was originally setup as a sublabel of Virgin Records, on which it initially planned on releasing music by µ-Ziq (Mike Paradinas), and similar artists. The experimental electronic genre that initially was vultured upon by the major labels never took off in the United States, and Virgin gave up spending their marketing dollars on this back-shelf product. In 1998, Paradinas decided to take on the label single-handedly, and, prefixing the releases with ZIQ, released Jega's Type Xer0 as the very first 12-inch. This teaser was followed up with Jega's debut album, Spectrum (Planet Mu, 1998), and from that the rest is history. Prior to his signing on Planet Mu, the man behind the Jega moniker, Dylan Nathan, has already released material on none other than Skam Records. There, with his two EPs, Phlax (Skam, 1996) and Card Hore (Skam, 1997), Nathan fit along perfectly with such contemporary abstract and experimental IDM artists as Bola, Lego Feet, Freeform, Boards of Canada, and of course Gescom. On Spectrum, Nathan rips through melodic breakbeats with newly perfected IDM elements, fitting right at home with Paradinas' µ-Ziq style. Glitched out percussion draws influences from Aphex Twin and even some leftfield downtempo beats ala Amon Tobin, whose first release, Bricolage, came out a year prior on Ninja Tune . Two years later, and a few EPs in between, Nathan releases his sophomore album, Geometry (planet Mu, 2000). This album is much different in tone, and immediately made its impression on me. A lot darker, machine-like chopped up percussion, jitters its way through the cold corridors of sonic spectrum towards the experimental Autechre sound. Although a few atmospheric melodies remain throughout the album, the deep electro beats and metallic effects hold their solid ground. Geometry is definitely among my list of influential albums. In 2004, Jega showed up with a Theme From 1998 on Planet Mu's compilation, Children of Mu. Another track, Aerodynamic, appeared on the label's compilation, Sacred Symbols Of Mu, two years later, in 2006. In 2003, as Nathan was working on his third album, Variance, a copy leaked out onto the sharing networks, and Nathan had to scrap and rework almost all of the tracks. The album is definitely still in the works, and Paradinas mentioned that Variance Vol 1 and Vol 2 will be released as a double album sometime in July, 2009 (!!!). As a matter of fact, Jega showcased his upcoming work during his exclusive set on BBC Radio 1 Experimental on March 11th, 2009 (do your own digging  on the planet-mu.com forums to grab a recording). I hope that bit of news got your juices flowing, as I'm sure I'll be reviewing the album once I get my dirty hands on it.

myspace.com/dylanjeganathan | jega.com
myspace.com/childrenofmu | planet-mu.com 

BLÆRG - Dysphoric Sonorities (Bottle Imp Productions)

Since the good ol' days of Squarepusher's jazzy idm breaks, laced with jungle flavored drill'n'bass, I've been nostalgic for that fading away sound. Even Venetian Snares modern-classical-meets-breakcore masterpiece, Rossz Csillag Alatt Született (Planet Mu, 2005), is now almost four years old. Has the genre put on an angrier mask and turned to gabber-heavy random-triggered mayhem? Where are those melodically driven themes complimented by intelligent macro programmed precision percussion? Or maybe I'm just not looking in the right places. Feel free to turn me in the right direction.Imagine my surprise when I landed on BLÆRG. This Ohio (US) based producer is everything mentioned above and more! [Yes, exclamation point is really necessary at this point]. Scott Wehman is not exactly a newcomer to the scene. Initially playing bass guitar for a few local metal bands, Wehman turned to producing electronica. With a few digital releases and a full length, Sesquipedalia (FromTheGut, 2007), Wehman joined Detroit stationed Bottle Imp Productions' roster, and opened up with a his sophomore album, Dysphoric Sonorities. Following this release he put out a very lovely limited EP [only 50 copies!], Auspices & Vagaries (Bottle Imp, 2008) and a collection of earlier tracks [presumably traded over the slsk network], Soulseek Days (Bottle Imp, 2008).On Dysphoric Sonorities, Wehman cleverly masters all of the beloved elements of intelligent breakcore - from jazzy keys, to bass slaps, to piano chords, to acoustic percussion drilled and glitched out to perfection. And there is enough evil in there to satisfy the angry rats scratching at the surface of the inside of my skull. Oh, and did I mentioned that production is top notch? Highly recommended along with the EP (if you are one of the lucky ones to get your dirty paws on it), if you like above mentioned names, plus Xanopticon, The Flashbulb, Enduser, Igorrr and Wisp.

myspace.com/blaerg  |  fromthegut.org/blaerg
myspace.com/bottleimpproductions  |  bottle-imp.com

IJO - (Untitled) LP (self)

Queuing up the self released (Untitled) LP by IJO on my iPod, I find that my collection is already sprinkled with tracks from this Lithuanian artist [currently residing in London]. A few of Audrius Vaitiekunas' tracks appear under my favorite Sutemos compilations: Draumar Um Kalt Sumar (Sutemos, 2006) and Intelligent Toys 4 (Sutemos, 2007). And I find that I have already rated those melodic IDM pieces high within an amazing collection of artists. But now I turn to check out IJO's more experimental work, that originally appeared on Plain Productions as a digital Untitled EP in 2006 (still available from this netlabel as a free download), later to be re-released by Vaitiekunas himself, with four more tracks from Quastic! Tracks (Envizagae, 2007), as a pressed 12" LP (this is a limited edition, and I've got mine right here!). IJO rips through the breaks, twisting up triggered percussion and acid bleeps into a whirlpool of distortion, that deserves to be analyzed under a microscope. The deep well of the brilliant Amen Break cutups still hasn't run dry (neither for me, nor for IJO), and when its mayhem detonates into jazzy and melodic interlude, my evil grin melts into a smile. The unheard (Unknown) track on this unsigned (Untitled) is simply unbelievable. It is the unmeasurable uncredible undarkness... er, sorry, got glitched in a groove there... I was trying to say that the (Unknown) track is the absolute highlight of the album for me. It is everything I ever wanted drill'n'bass to be. Evil grinds in the vain of DJ Hidden, lightning rhythmic patterns in the higher frequency, all phased and mashed up into the finest breakcore, as institutionalized by Venetian Snares, Squarepusher and Jega. Highly recommended.



myspace.com/theijo | plainaudio.com/ijo
myspace.com/plainaudio | plainaudio.com

Igorrr - Moisissure (self)

Slap! What an album... I'm really out of words. Let me attempt. Track one - Valse En Décomposition - baroque organ chords with a low-fi trip-hop beat followed by a bee buzzing turning into glitchy classical piece. Track two - Oesophage De Tourterelle - light piano arpeggios, tremolos and octave scaling progressions turning into insane breakcore. Track three - Putrefiunt - solo monk voice over a flamenco guitar exploding into hardcore death metal cookie-monster mayhem. Or how about 40's gramophone swing laced with gabber? And then there are eight more tracks! I haven't heard such a collection of molded styles before, and it's working... it's working really well! Gautier "Igorrr" Tighten, is a French (unsigned!) producer skillfully experimenting with samples, beats, breaks, and genres. Tighten is also the founder of a speedcore death electro metal/nica project WHOURKR with a single album Naät (self, 2007). Look, I absolutely love Venetian Snares and any crazy juxtaposition of hard styles, but when I happen to venture outside of the leading names, I encounter mostly noise and thoughtless production. Igorrr changes all that. He brings the fun back into breakcore and intelligence into design. Igorrr is a sonic painter who throws nails into aged strawberry jam, lets the slime dribble over your favorite toy, and serves it on a silver plated toilet seat. With a goat shake on the side. Eat it. Moisissure is so fun, you'll be back for more. Perhaps you're secure a copy of his 2006 release, Poisson Soluble. Recommended for the fans of V.Snares, Bong-Ra, Enduser, and Doormouse. Have fun chasing flies with your mouse on Igorrr's web site.



myspace.com/igorrrrrrrrrr | igorrr-music.com

Venetian Snares - Detrimentalist (Planet Mu)

We can always count on Aaron Funk to punish us at least once a year. If you're not familiar with Venetian Snares, it's time for you to open up that hole and crawl out.  Seriously. Winnipeg (Canada) based Funk is a prolific champion of the edgiest of genres - from modern-classical orchestral arrangements violated with breakcore to noisy IDM sprinkled with clicks and cuts. Among the collection of labels, he has managed to span some of my favorites - Zod, Distort, Sublight, Hymen and of course, Planet Mu. Detrimentalist is Funk's twentieth (!!!) album, in which he steps away from classical themes sampled and revisited in My Downfall (Planet Mu, 2007), and brings back the early drum'n'bass loops only the way Venetian Snares can. Planet Mu describes the release as "Venetian Snares' 332nd official studio album of disgusting ejacutronic rave horn." After a couple of rotations the intelligent design behind complex time signatures stands out from the imitators' attempts at making [whatever]-core simply for the sake of it. The first two tracks, Gentleman and Koonut-Kaliffee set the tone for the entire album, and the grind never stops. The cover art is sprinkled with an array of neon green aliens, robots, skulls, wingdings, guns, cassettes, and other demented and detrimental paraphernalia. And ducks. My favorite track is Eurocore MVP with ragga vocal samples, Funk's staple bass rips, drilling Amen breaks and an obligatory snare rush. This is breakcore at its finest. Keep it coming, Funk... We're listening... For similar styles, check out Bong-Ra, Shitmat, End.user, and my new favorite, Igorrr.

myspace.com/venetiansnares | venetiansnares.com
myspace.com/childrenofmu | planet-mu.com

Evol Intent - Era Of Diversion (Evol Intent)

What an album! Last year I raved about DJ Hidden’s massive The Later After release [also my Best of 2007 selection], and now I’m being slapped with Era Of Diversion by a trio out of Atlanta calling themselves Evol Intent. With "love" spelled backwards, the group members are Ashley Jones (The Enemy), Nick Weiller (Knick), and  Mike Diasio (Gigantor). You may have seen these names before on some hard d’n’b labels like Barcode Recordings, Renegade Hardware, and of course their own label, Evol Intent. The debut album includes tracks featuring amazing choppy, dark and crispy IDM breaks, solid hardstep drum’n’bass, abstep, and a selection of super tasteful breakcore. The release mixes in tracks featuring the lyrics by J Messinian (James Fiorella) and drilling spitting rhymes by Cypher Linguistics. And that’s not all! We also get a treat from Ewun and a Spor remix. Look, I need just one hard chop to the throat a year. And in 2008 I loose my breath with Era of Diversion. Yet as I grasp for air, moments away from asphyxiation, I get a kick in the groin. These boys just don’t play nice. Seriously. If this is what drum and bass is becoming, then I’m ready, even as I’m lying on the floor in the fetal position. And for god’s sake, spend some money on a woofer and turn that [low frequency loudspeaker] up! In addition to the above mentioned names, pick up this album if you like SPL, Counterstrike, Technical Itch, Limewax, and Current Value.

myspace.com/evolintent | evolintent.com

Barry Lynn - Balancing Lakes (Planet Mu)

Barry Lynn is a sneaky fellah, and I must admit, he almost slipped this release unnoticed by my watchful eye of his usual releases under the Boxcutter moniker. Thankfully he didn’t drift too far, and comfortably settled on his home label, Planet Mu. Well, Barry, what have we here? A delicious collection of abstract glitchy IDM, with an occasional dub track and even some breakcore - must you make me mention Squarepusher in this writeup? Ah, but I guess it all makes sense: Balancing Lakes is mostly a collection of previously unreleased material, produced in the four years prior to Boxcutter’s LP debut, Oneiric (2006). It’s no wonder that I hear influences from all of my favorite Warp artists. And in this reviewer’s opinion, some of the drill’n’bass tracks don’t even feel that dated, but are instead welcomed by a nostalgic ear. It feels like discovering an accidentally missed artist. In fact, that’s true. That artist - Barry Lynn. The only down side to the release, is that thematically it’s a bit tougher to consume as an album, rather than a collection of tracks. Doesn’t mean that I won’t be ripping it apart and flag individual selections as favorites for my rotations. Pick up your copy over at bleep.com [I’m still fuming over iTunes attempting to slip 128kbps as acceptable medium]. Recommended if you like The Flashbulb, Aaron Spectre, Aphex Twin, and Clark. No dubstep here. Favorite track: London.

myspace.com/barrylynnmusic | myspace.com/childrenofmu

Wisp - Honor Beats (Sublight)

Out of Niagara Falls, NY, Reid W. Dunn pushes the beats further to where Squarepusher's work would be today. I know that this may be a repeating and unfair analogy - each artist should be seen in an original light - but this comparison should be considered a very highly paid compliment to Wisp. That being regurgitated, Honor Beats is a very complex, intelligent, micro programmed, post-IDM boarding breakcore slash abstract drum'n'bass album, with every track at absolutely top notch production. It is definitely a leap forward from Dunn's past NRTHNDR album, and at only eight tracks it is a treasured gem in my collection. In terms of original and ground breaking electronic sound in the same genre, only three artists come to mind [I hope this comment will trigger a flood of comments and recommendations] - Venetian Snares, The Flashbulb, and Wisp. In all of the above (including Squarepusher once again), it's more than just a chaos of unleashed and mental beats - there is a strong sense of music theory behind each track which makes the experience that much more... well... musical. Recommended as per above mentioned names. Favorite track: Lyftgeswenced.

myspace.com/wisp