Fantastic Mr Fox - The Trap

Label: Black Acre

Fantastic Mr Fox’s early outings counted among some of the most intriguing bass experiments of the late 00’s, yet the Black Acre label-head has been relatively quiet over the last few years. Last year’s San’en EP signalled a successful transition to RnB-infused song-like structures, yet single-sided follow-up Power was as floor-focused as they come. Now for his first release this year, the producer attempts to strike a balance between the two styles, yet the result is unsettled; a pair of technically proficient house rollers that have neither the melodic core to truly emote nor the rhythmic force of a true dancefloor weapon.

 

The Trap

All FMF’s trademarks are here; copyright-baiting soul samples, unconventional percussive patterns and a colourful array of bouncing synths and organ stabs. Yet these tracks are somehow less than the sum of their parts. The Trap liberally uses Colonel Abram’s classic to inject a catchy hook, but the skeletal production lacks weight, only gaining momentum with the detuned horns of its final minute which are over all-too-soon. Jackal Youth faces similar problems; the attractive composition suffers from its simplicity, content to roll along without ever developing into a strong groove. It’s clear from FMF’s strong catalogue that he’s capable of rich, engaging compositions, but the tracks on this single never really take off. Most likely these are the results of a producer who has yet to settle into an individual style following the post-dubstep fallout, so with a full-length apparently in the works, let’s hope that Mr Fox can get back up to his usual standard.

6/10

Read this review in context at Inverted Audio.

20 Best EPs of 2012

Year End Coverage

* Best Albums of 2012

* Best EPs of 2012

* Best Labels of 2012

* Best Breakthrough Artists of 2012

* Best Tracks of 2012 - 101-76
* Best Tracks of 2012 - 75-51
* Best Tracks of 2012 - 50-26
* Best Tracks of 2012 - 25-1

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The majority of artists tally up a great deal more EP releases than albums, yet the extended players are often notably absent from music publications’ year-end lists. Here are White Noise we like to give credit to the artists who stretch the EP format beyond a killer club tracks and a handful of remixes, those who search out a coherent musical experience that’s more than a handful of disjointed tunes. These are the EPs that we’re still listening to a year on, and felt deserving of  an extra recommendation.

A wide range of styles made it to our list, and you can click on the titles to read our original reviews. Huge respect to all the artists here who went one step further this year, and here’s to a 2013 that’s just as exciting.

20 - Machinedrum – SXLND [Lucky Me]

 

SXLND

Travis Stewart’s first release of the year was a real palette-cleanser after last year’s heady (but excellent) album Room(s). Here the footwork fanatic lowered the tempo and brought out brighter textures, offering a stylish and bouncy collection that entered the mainstream through a couple of tracks that ended up as Azealia Banks backing tracks.

19 - George Fitzgerald – Child [Aus]

 

Child

Fitzgerald ruled the dancefloors this year, and nowhere were his House chops more apparent than on the excellent Child EP for Will Saul’s Aus imprint. His distinctive style fuses deadly basslines and thumping beats in a polished package, and the release spawned two tracks, Child and Lights Out , which were impossible to miss in clubs everywhere over the summer. 

18 - Pangaea – Release [Hessle]

Majestic 12

Pangaea put out Hessle’s longest release to date this year with the formidable Release double-EP. Mining elements of Dubstep and Jungle, the Hessle owner never sounded like anyone but himself across the course of these tracks which veered from ambient to breakneck 2step in the blink of an eye. Propulsive, frightening and cerebral, here Pangaea made good on the promise of his excellent early singles.

17 - Midland – Placement [Aus]

What We Know

Midland has always occupied a space slightly outside contemporary trends. With each release he offers detailed and meditative House cuts that amaze through headphones as much as the do on the dancefloor. From the slick vocals and pounding beats of What We Know to the restrained atmospherics of opener Tape Burn, every track on this release was a small marvel.

16 - oOoOO  - Our Loving Is Hurting Us [Tri Angle]

 

Break Yr Heartt

Shadowy American oOoOO continued to mine his utterly unique style this year with a much-anticipated follow-up to his self titled debut. A postmodern collision of Pop, RnB and the grimiest Hip Hop resulted in another excellent collection where razor-sharp beats complimented unsettling atmospherics and the inimitable vocals of collaborator Butterclock.

15 - Moodymann – Why Do U Feel [KDJ]

 

Why Do U Feel

Kenny Dixon Jr hardly became a House legend by accident, but it’s still a pleasant surprise to see him put out something so different after all these years. While the title track here is something very special, one of the year’s most nakedly beautiful dance tracks, the definitive cut of the unstoppably groovy I Got Werk and a surprisingly good Lana Del Ray remix filled out a pretty perfect package from one of the Dance scene’s most impressive stalwarts.

14 - Δkkord – Δkkord001 [Δkkord]

EP Clips

Another shadowy group of producers putting out dark sounds on their own label. Boring right? Not with Δkkord. Their debut release fused intensely atmospheric soundscapes with hard-as-nails beats that ranged from a slamming 4/4 to IDM-style twitches. Every track on this release is phenomenally powerful and impeccably produced, providing a whole range of DJs with the moodiest secret weapons for the clubs.

13 - A Thousand Years – Farmers in Fields of Stars [King Deluxe]

 

Flying High

Newcomer Zeké Africa blew us away with his debut EP, an impressively diverse array of sophisticated House cuts. This release really had it all; Flying High and its partner Have To Tell You were expertly detailed dancefloor numbers, while other tracks focussed on mood (superb opener No Light) and even went as far as Trap in the deeply unsettling Bake Take.

12 - Jets – Jets [Leisure System]

 

Lock Lock Key Key (Clip)

For us at White Noise, Jimmy Edgar and Travis Stewart (Machinedrum) are a match made in heaven. Their two distinctive styles were impressively fused on this debut collaborative EP, where lightning-fast beatscience duelled against warm synth textures, resulting in an relentlessly innovative EP that continued to amaze us months after the release date.

11 - Jacques Greene – Ready [3024]

 

Prism

It was clear that Jacques Greene was going to have to change up his style a bit to keep afloat. After a blisteringly successful 2011, spawning one of the year’s very best tracks, his signature airy style couldn’t compete with the darker sounds coming onto the dancefloors this year. But he did change, and for his debut on Martyn’s impeccable 3024 imprint he came out with one of his best releases to date. Here Greene delved deeper and darker, with Ready’s shuttering beat patterns providing a foil to Prism’s searing synth-work. This EP exuded class, right down to the noteworthy digital exclusive Dakou, where a bridge was drawn between this new, darker style and Greene’s early signature of skipping 2step rhythms.

10 - Beneath – Illusions [Keysound]

 

EP Clips

Beneath is one of the producers who emerged this year with a unique voice right out of the box. His moody soundscapes are home to skeletal UK Funky beat patterns and spare atmospherics that sound right at home on London’s darkest dancefloors. With his first EP for Keysound the fresh producer stepped up his game, with a more complete package that expanded his palette without ever losing the potency of those lethal drum patterns, including a deadly remix of  Ballistiq Beat’s Concrete Jungle.

9 - Fantastic Mr. Fox – San’en [Black Acre]

 

Pascal’s Chorus feat. Alby Daniels

After a long period of silence, San’en wasn’t really the FMF follow up that we were expecting. San’en toyed with live vocals, RnB styles, delicate textures and detailed soundscapes. It all goes to show that sometimes a little surprise is a very good thing indeed. Overlooked by many, here at White Noise we felt San’en was Mr. Fox’s finest hour (along with the brilliant one-sider Power); an impeccably produced collection of diverse tunes that looked out to the future of Bass music. And let’s not forget the gorgeous neo-pop closer Yesterday’s Fall, which was easily one of White Noise’s most played tracks this year.

8 - Duct – Circles [Shades of Grey]

EP Clips

Another slightly overlooked record this year came courtesy of Shades of Grey label-head Duct. Although the Bass music / Post-Dubstep genre may be a little dubious in its vagueness, not since Mount Kimbie’s debut LP or Sepalcure’s early EPs have such lush and delicate sounds found their way into the dance sphere. Each of these tunes is an immaculately detailed landscape of clipped samples and unusual rhythms, showing there’s still life in a genre many critics are doing their best to avoid.

7 - Dawn Day Night – Dawn Day Night [Astrophonica]

 

Alcoholic Dance Flow (Clip)

Dawn Day Night’s first foray into the exciting middle-ground separating DnB and Juke was utter madness from start to finish, and we loved it. Combining deft drum patterns and floor-killing sounds with ghetto sensibilities and a real sense of humour, it was easily one of the year’s most joyous releases.

6 - Cuthead – Brother [Uncanny Valley]

Vibratin’

Dresden’s Cuthead creates House cuts drenched in mood, with great samples sounding so smooth over those punchy beat patterns. It all just works for Cuthead, which is why we were so amazed when he chose to end the EP with two hilarious (and brilliant) slices of instrumental Hip Hop, capping off a great release with impressive diversity. It’s one of those releases where you’ll put on the first tune and sit transfixed, unable to turn it off until the end.

5 - Indigo – Symbol #7 [Auxiliary]

Symbol #7.1

We were a big fan of Indigo’s output this year, and nowhere was he more on form than on this untitled release for Auxiliary. Here was the perfect example of what makes Indigo’s style so unique; amazingly delicate melodies combined fluidly with superb drum programming and a host of atmospheric details. The second and fourth track showed how successful a producer he is outside of conventional beat patterns, pure mood pieces that oozed style and dread.

4 - 2562 – Air Jordan [When In Doubt]

Jerash Hekwerken

A Techno release made entirely out of field samples taken from a trip to Jordan? Could go very, very wrong. But not in the hands of 2562, one of the genre’s most consistently brilliant producers. Dave Huismans managed to keep it all under control, introducing his whiplash rhythms and rattling bass to these organic and exotic sonic textures. The concept reached its apex with the gloriously hypnotic closer Noctural Drummers, which brought a Technoid claustrophobia to textured tribal drum patterns.

3 - Shlohmo – Vacation [Friends of Friends]

Wen uuu

It wouldn’t be far-fetched to call us Shlohmo fanboys here at White Noise, but there’s a reason for that. No one out of the LA beat scene bridges the electronic and the acoustic quite so beautifully. With the follow-up to last years superb Bad Vibes album, Shlohmo let loose a trio of lushly atmospheric beat pieces with a few surprises along the way. Add that to an unusually excellent remix package (featuring a star turn from wonderkid Nicolas Jaar), and the Vacation EP easily made its way into our top three.

2 - Burial – Kindred [Hyperdub]

Ashtray Wasp

What is there left to say about Burial really? White Noise has certainly said more than enough for one year. Everyone knows, he’s just something very, very special. The Kindred EP was the moment where Burial did the impossible, matching (if not bettering) his classic Untrue album. These tracks saw the return of William Bevan’s grit, as well as a new experimentalism in his sonic structure that proved he’s still willing to push just about every boundary going. Almost a decade on, Burial is still peerless in his field. If you’ve never heard the Kindred EP, drop everything you’re doing and check it out right now. If you’ve heard it a hundred times, listen again. It’s still that good.

1 - Romare – Meditations on Afro-Centrism [Black Acre]

 

Down The Line (It Takes A Number)

Music can have profound meaning. Anyone who’s ended up reading this blog will already know that. But it’s not often that a real message can be found in an EP, let alone one that delves into the tropes of Dance music, a genre which more often than not aims purely to get bodies moving. Romare’s fascinating Meditations On Afrocentrism (ironically the only EP on this list we never got round to reviewing) is an electronic tour-de-force, fusing African rhythms and samples with modern dance structures and beat patterns. The tracks explore a range of BPMs, from the Footwork of the brilliant The Blues (It Began In Africa) to the venomous Hip Hop crunch of Down The Line (It Takes A Number). But this is more than simple culture-collage. The 13-minute cut-and-paste spoken word closer that comments on the artist’s own process is a (terribly post-modern) masterstroke, underlining the amount of research and work that went into these pieces. An EP which offers brilliant tunes while making a point is already worthy of our number one spot, but this message: on institutionalised racism in the music industry, on the deep roots of black music in our contemporary musical culture, is so vital that it positively demands to be heard.

August Roundup

Although we’ve barely been treated to a summer here in England, we’ve still had a giant’s share of dance music this month. Here White Noise collects some of its favourites from the last month, give or take.

Tracklist:

Fantastic Mr Fox – Power

Citizen – Room Service

Bwana – Baby Let Me Finish

Moodymann – Why Do U Feel

Storm Queen – Let’s Make Mistakes

Dusky – Stick By This (GoldFFinch Remix)

Mala – Calle F

Blawan – Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage
Visionist - Come In

A1 Bassline – Slur

Austin Cesear – Peralta Palace

Four Tet – Lion

Bobby Champs – Drag Queen

Airhead – Pyramid Lake

Holy Other – Held

Jessie Ware – Sweet Talk

White Noise will be taking a week of downtime as I'm jetting off to Dimensions festival in Croatia. Maybe I'll see some of you there. Enjoy!

Fantastic Mr Fox – San’en EP

Label: Black Acre

It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything from Manchester-based Stephen Gomberg, which might strike some as odd considering what a packed year FMF’s 2010 debut was. Across two EP’s on the genre-defying Black Acre label Gomberg showed a taste for glitchy electronic variations that referenced Dubstep and Garage while remaining intriguingly experimental and genreless, particularly in regards to track structure. His taste for RnB became clear in the split-release bootleg he took on with Pariah, remixing Brandy with tight clicks and mad bass variations while Pariah took on Erykah Badu with flair. Here after a long break FMF wears that love of RnB on his sleeve, crafting four distinctive and impressive tunes that are well worth the year-long wait.

 Despite early parallels to the likes of James Blake and Mount Kimbie, here Fantastic Mr Fox’s sound is more unique and distinctive than ever, even while he takes on a variety of styles. On San’en he creates a fine sense of coherence to the synths and basslines in particular, cutting four tracks from the same sonic cloth while admirably reconfiguring these elements across differing genres and styles. The inclusion of vocalist Alby Daniels on three of the four tracks could be a questionable decision but ultimately pays off magnificently, with some tracks using the vocals as sampled melodic elements while on others the lyrics are allowed centre-stage, meaning Daniels’ words never intrude or overstay their welcome.

Speak Nuh

Pascal’s Chorus sets the tone of the release, a melancholy House tune with a thumping 4/4 deep in the mix that builds with Daniels’ sensual and low-key vocal inflections. A heavily-treated organ melody drives slowly to the surface of the track, eventually intruding forcefully to become the track’s main element, complimented by tightly syncopated percussive clicks and beats. It sounds new and meticulously detailed, but the opener merely sets the scene for a host of great rhythms and nuances on the next three tunes. Speak Nuh, the only vocal-less track, is a rude grime-referencing number that should get even the most reluctant dancefloor-dwellers moving. After a moody build with deep kicks a detuned synth-line slowly cements into place before dropping like a brick to establish a powerful groove. Restless producer that he is, Gomberg adds racing percussive twitches and a constantly-shifting melodic field of chimes and synthwork to ensure the tune always keeps you on your feet.

Yesterdays Fall

Title cut San’en is a low-key affair, with surprising emotional impact thanks to the naked vocals and stark percussive field, showing a clear pop-sensibility absent in FMF’s earlier releases. An excellent breakdown offers a shifting bassline before the track opens up, strong yet reserved with Daniels’ lovelorn vocals adding a human element even while they’re being chopped and looped. All the tracks here give a lot for the listener to love, but for me final cut Yesterdays Fall is the standout, cloaking the big synths and chattering percussion in smooth melodic chords and the catchiest vocal line on the EP, culminating in a tune verging on both Pop and brilliance. On San’en Fantastic Mr Fox proves that, despite a break, he’s still as relevant as ever, showing a deft hand at mixing vocals into his highly individual dance sound while sounding bigger, brighter and smoother than ever.

8.5/10

May Roundup

It’s that time of the month again, here are some of my favourite releases from May, in one handy playlist. This month I've included a couple I missed from the end of last month and a couple that come out at the beginning of June. Enjoy!

Tracklist:

Omar-S feat. L’Renee – SEX (Constant Gardens Posse Remix)

Leon Vynehall – Picture Frame (Clip)

West Norwood Cassette Library – Coming On Strong (Clip)

Jimmy Edgar – U Need Love

Boddika & Joy O – Dun Dun

Girl Unit – Ensemble (Club Mix)

Head High – Rave (Dirt Mix)

Guy Andrews – The Wait

XI – Joy / Fear

Swindle –If I Was A Super Hero

Hackman – Forgotten Notes (free download here)

Bo Saris – She’s On Fire (Maya Jane Coles Remix)

Fantastic Mr Fox – Yesterdays Fall feat Alby Daniels

Bondax – Wet Summer (free download here)

Friendzone – Chuch

How To Dress Well – Ocean Floor for Everything (free download here)

Here are a couple of top quality releases from earlier this year well worth checking out:

Storm Queen – Look Right Through (MK Don’t Talk To Me Dub)

Body Double – My Life / Be Strong

Enjoy!