Various Artists ‘Fabric 63: Levon Vincent’

Various Artists / Fabric 63: Levon Vincent

CD

Fabric / Released April 2012

 

What does it sound like? 

Arguably America’s most en vogue techy-house DJ joins the ranks of worthwhile players to have melded a CD of tunes together for the good folks at Fabric. Those that have ever seen Mr Vincent live will know one thing for sure; his sound is not best suited to words on a page, and this compilation certainly follows suit. It’s deep, underground, repetitive, and seemingly made for darkened rooms.

Kicking off with a track named Earth Calls from a guy called Joey Anderson the intention is immediately stated; dubby kicks and a near-constant barritone carry fret strings, developing a sense of imposing atmosphere that doesn’t let up until we reach the mix’s conclusion. This means by the time we get roughly halfway through- say at Vincent’s own Fear (all synth refrains, cosmic noises shooting off into the distance and a filtered organ hook)- things have been grumbling and grooving with all the deep, gets-into-your-head skill one might have expected from this release, though those that aren’t already fans may be finding things a little too backroom. In short, one for the heads, who’ll love it.

What highlights can I expect to hear? 

The hilariously titled Double-Jointed Sex Freak II (another of Vincent’s own) certainly stands out, and not just because of that name. Its lunging low end, thudding drums and dramatic (albeit still in a subtle way) crescendo of harmony that breaks down into semi-industrial dub techno goodness is, well, very good. Backlight from Black Jazz Consortium is also a solid pitch, combining staccato snares with warm, rolling bass and wide-load kicks, creating the toughest point on here, and probably the most stripped, but somehow coming across as one of the more engaging moments. Oh, and JM De Frias’ Intrinsic Motivation, which forsakes solid beats for knife-edge tension, sending piano chords and ghostly keyboards spiralling in a downwards direction, comes across sounding like a cross between South America and Berlin, which works well too.

Where can I buy it? 

Fabric.

 


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