Data Transmission Review
Friday 06 January 2012
Blocks and Escher - Broken/Cymbal Runner
9 out of 10
Posted by Harry Sword
Blocks and Escher have cut a neat line in emotional and claustrophobic DnB the past few years. Releases on esteemed labels such as Renegade Hardware andDigital Soundboy have gone some way to establish their presence, but here they offer their debut release on their own Narratives imprint - and what a devastating statement of intent both tracks are.
‘Broken’ opens with errie chords and a shuffling hat that is joined by layer on layer of reverberating synth drones. A cutting break soon levels the mix, cracking snares grounding the increasingly forbidding atmospherics while a simple Depeche Modestyle 4-note synth line repeats. Simple ingredients, but delivered with an icy conviction.
Turning over, solo Escher offering ‘Cymbal Runner’ is an altogether more psychoactive concoction. An echo laden vocal snippet, synth washes and a pummelling tribal kick, bongo fills, white noise stabs and a growling bass tone swiftly joins a sparse hat pattern. The rolling progression is kept up right till the end, with a leading synth line coming in only after 4 minutes.
Tension is the watchword for both of these tracks; it’s rare in d'n'b to find music that holds so much back until the late stages of a track. Indeed, you can happily listen to both pieces from beginning to end without becoming restless and the keen musicality shines to the fore.
With the more musical side of d'n'b being in the rude health that it currently is, this release will curry favour with progressive players of all persuasions. Cold, driven and musically forward thinking, this is sleek adult DnB that is both persuasive and nuanced. Highly recommended listening.