S_W_Z_K / Untitled
Vinyl / Digital / CD
Tresor / Released June 2012
What does it sound like?
Reducing the Swayzak moniker to S_W_Z_K for this long player David ‘Brun’ Brown shows a keen eye for a fitting title, given the ghostly, brooding, and (dare it be said) minimal arrangements on the album. Don’t panic though, it’s actually very engaging, in a stark kind of way.
Dystopian visions of strange futurescapes abound then as we dig into the ten tracks offered here. Things open as they intend to continue on Techniques, with the expanding, dubbed synth waves and heavy four four kick taking next to no time to grab us. Though always working in and around stripped tech styles, those familiar with Swayzak up until now may be a little surprised to learn that from here a semi-industrialist vibe prevails, largely (but not solely) thanks to the likes of Neukolln Mon Amour (all crunching percussion and reverberating basslines set to a stepping rhythm), and The Last Drop (which sounds like big room techno compressed and distorted into some kind of twisted sibling- both intelligent and unabashedly hedonistic).
Elsewhere too, though things are decidedly cleaner, they are rarely any less imposing. Dimanche Noir‘s multitude of layered hi-hats and mechanical sounding beats reveal something of a middle ground in terms of the LP’s overall toughness, which isn’t to say it doesn’t pack its own hefty punch, easily betraying the Tresor imprint to anyone that wasn’t already aware it was carrying this release. As does End of the Line Old Boy, an appropriately atmospheric number filled with echoed bleep hooks and gradually emerging filtered melodies, whilst during the least dancefloor moments we’re given the darkest electronic dub of Elsenstr. 171, all metallic samples and Earth-shattering low ends. Heavy stuff indeed.
What highlights can I expect to hear?
Marianne F, as its off-beat, epic sounding drums and warbling bass, coupled with strange vocal hooks and synth refrains, make for an odd treat, both enormous and intimate in scale, though the aforementioned …Old Boy, and that expansive opener are also real delights.
Where can I buy it?
Juno.
