After releasing a succession of acclaimed 12’s on Tectonic,
SubSolo and Philpot, Dave Huismans aka 2562 is finally back armed
with a beefy 10 track full length that takes off where his 12’s
lefts off- by totally redefining the traditional dubstep sound.
Made up of four previously released cuts and six totally new compositions,
Huismans has come to conquer both the dubstep and dubtech spheres,
but not through dividing them but combining them. On the face
of it, it may seem like Aerial treads similarly murky territory
as Kode 9 and Burial but 2562 builds upon the now stagnating dub-step
foundation by formulating unique and progressive arrangements
in which he inserts a delicate electroid flair, a component that
sleekly oils together the cavernous bass distortions and splintered
snares to create energetic and flowing soundscapes. Over the course
of the 10 tracks, skeletal 2-step clatters and ambient techno
murmurs collide within a hollowed and warped-out dub aesthetic
that will subtly pound you into submission.
From the atmospheric and brooding breaks
of the Witchman-esque ‘Morvern’ to the prime dub-tech
territory of ‘Channel Two’, a track which fuses ‘Hong
Kong’ era Monolake with the techtonic bass fluctuations
of Skream, Huismans uses ‘Aerial’ as a medium to showcase
a wide and engaging expanse of bass-led soundscapes. Wearing his
roots dub influence on his sleeve, ‘Moog Dub’ is a
track built around a rolling melodic-dub echo motif that warps
in and out of focus whilst being complemented by contrasting bass
shudders within a smokey deep-tech structure. If bass fluctuation
is your thing then ‘Techno Dread’ will leave you floored.
Perpetual, ultra low-end bass churns persist machine-like, providing
a simmering foundation to sparklingly arranged tech-house flutters.
It’s like Luomo was taken advantage of by Distance whilst
Maurizio’s ‘M-Series’ rotated quietly in the
background.
Moving on further through the album, ‘Greyscale’
utilises a fizzing micro dubtech aesthetic that will have fans
of Chain Reaction and Raster-Noton salivating. A skeletal techno
beat is shrouded in heavy delays and inhumane echoes and left
to froth perpetually in a distant sub-aqua realm before attempting
to resurrect itself from its slumber to create a dark and distinctive
slice of atmospheric dub-step. After this track, the previously
released ‘Enforcers’ explodes forth with its bustling,
re-modified 2-step and wobbly bass that sounds like the result
of being in the boiler room of a submerged club in which Detroit
Techno DJ’s and Dubstep DJ’s are battling it out.
Dripping with a clinical Berlin dub-vibe
and composed with a hazy deep-tech aesthetic, Huismans has created
a beneath sea-level dub(tech)step monster that, at times, drives
and distorts with real venom yet also soothes and relaxes with
its ambi-melodic core. I know Pinch had an (inconsistent) dubstep
album entitled ‘Underwater Dancefloor’ but the tracks
featured on ‘Aerial’ are far more befitting of that
album title. (KS)
For fans of: Senking, Pole, Burial, Kode 9, Loefah, Maurizio,
Mono Lake, Witchman, Deepchord
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