Author: Matt Oliver

Album Review: Otto von Schirach / ‘Supermeng’ (Monkeytown)

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★★★☆☆

Booty and Miami bass used to be about unspeakable acts of partying. Otto von Schirach has turned it into a permanent appointment with the ear doctor. Whereas most pump bass from the trunk of their car, OvS has frequencies on smash from an octaned-out juggernaut. Versatile may be an overambitious label to employ, but you can say that he’s loud in whatever he bangs his iron fist to, the Cuban-German-Floridan more a (horse)power-crazed villain than superhero figure but taking pride in keeping it surreal and a little cartoonish.

The suggested versatility concerns the throwaway rock n roll of “Ultimate Universe” and bafflingly camp “Mind Power” — the album’s weak links, though they still fasten seatbelts. Then there’s Atari Teenage Riot rupture (“Reptile Brain Wash”) and devouring, freaky-deaky dubstep (“The Blob” and bro-step beam-up “Quasar”). With a natural affinity towards original B-boy electro and its sci-fi theories, the title track and “Breathe the Beat” show that new skool sonic booms owe a debt to Planet Rock inhabitants and innovators, while there’s still room for lazer-powered sleaze and Armageddonistic seduction. As he’s been uncompromising with everything else, von Schirach may as well have a go at making monstrous bedroom “Diamond Eyes.” A messy, square-eyed sprawl that slingshots out of speakers therefore it’s a hit for today’s headbangers.
File under: DJ Assault, Venetian Snares, Miami Bass Warriors

Album Review: Norken & Deer / ‘Micro Don Juan’ (Hydrogen Dukebox)

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★★★★☆

Norken & Deer are on the trail of a searching sunset-to-sunrise sound, open to the mystery of the night. Lee Norris and Martin Hirsch’s swapping of deep house ideas through fibre-optics is for the most part on your side, headlined by the album’s blue ribbon track “Shoot the Sun,” while easing into a more forthright position that’s altogether less starry-eyed. Rolling quiet storm “Beyond the Breeze” guides you through the album’s strong and protective maturity, and the cooling whispers skipping off the top of the stout “Don’t Feel Her Now” are there to set you adrift but also indicate that you will come down, as if N&D have set up reality around the corner from the highs.

Then asking listeners to really test themselves where the sultry meets the suspicious, “Remember That Feeling” dares you to daydream, like recalling a forbidden holiday romance, and bonus track “Rewire Your Thoughts” is a bumping groove wanting your hard-earned sweat. Fitting in a two-step rhythm for “Bitola Ola” impressively poses no threat to continuity as seduction and doubt continue to swirl as one, manifesting on “3cielo Simplified” but appeased by chillout compilation staple in waiting “Micro Castaneda.” A chocolate box of soft centers, hard shells and faintly stronger than expected flavors; whatever you get, relaxes, tempts and works you up well.
File under: Metamatics; Nacht Plank; Jason Lanox

Album Review: The Apples / ‘Fly On It’ (Audio Montage)

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★★★★☆

The nine-strong Apples bunch lands back on Audio Montage after holding down a spot at funk frontrunner Freestyle. The Israelis’ bags of swagger, that once upon a time covered a Christmas hit by Rage Against the Machine, is of a dynamic where horns blare, the drummer is given some in a wingman role, and the world falls into line with the fun and feistiness the grooves offer. For headspins and summertime cookouts, traditional sounds are both reverently welcomed into the fold and then told to get with the program. Featuring fizzy fingered turntabalism that pips their cheek-dizzying competition, block rocking showmanship (b-boys get it together on “Thang”) is a demonstration of core values, turned into an acknowledgment that they’re ‘bout it ‘bout it.

However frenzied they sound, The Apples never dip over a breakneck speed. Horns are always the star quarterback, forever entrusted with and invariably winning the game, but showing that brass doesn’t have to hog the stage, “Sixth Stream” and “Powder” put the spotlight on double bass beats in the best traditions of The Herbaliser and Fingathing. Conceived in a mere two day session, it’s far from improvized, and if this is funk done off the cuff, each member must be ridiculously tuned in to the point of sitting in their bandmates’ subconscious. Funk you’ll be wanting to feed off.
File under: DJ Format, Radio Trip, Lack of Afro

Album Review: DJ Kentaro / ‘Contrast’ (Ninja Tune)

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★★★☆☆

A turntablist turned dubstep detontator, seduced by gigantic wobbles being able to hit the big time, DJ Kentaro’s kitchen sink mentality is a mere half-hour long, the development of stylus wrecker to Japanese exocet having him breathe fire and running the city into a fever. The cut and dice never leaves him, intelligently worked into “Crossfader” and electro-funk ease-up “Next Page,” and there’s more than enough hip-hop firepower — DJ Krush, D-Styles, Kid Koala, C2C — to bill Contrast as a purely multi-deck throwdown. “Kikkake” and “Higher” however immediately state his intentions to push the plunger down on billowing, chaos-in-Metropolis, midrange dubstep/drumstep, made for snapping stadiums into a state of smithereens. State of the art for sure, even if it’s following a fast becoming long tradition – massive sounding, but in reality engineered spotlessly.

UK mega-mouths Foreign Beggars are the perfect power boosters for “Step In”, and the same goes for ragga runners of de dance MC Zulu on “Big Timer” and Fire Ball on “Fire Is On”, turning what was already a demolition job into a game of wrecking balls playing dodgeball. You’re actually getting your money’s worth out of 30 minutes – too much more would’ve been overload, such is Kenatro’s unflinching bass/synth bloodlust that will estrange those wanting an exhibition of crabs and juggles, but will get a helluva lot more of the market onside.
File under: Drumsound &amp Bassline Smith, Pendulum, Sub Focus