Previous releases by anonymous London producer Spatial for his own Infrasonics label garnered widespread praise for their energized contributions to the ‘future garage’ side of dubstep, and this latest instalment ought to strengthen his case. Again, the tracks all have five-digit numerical titles, a trait of Spatial’s to keep non-musical elements to a minimum (while also mirroring the scene’s interest in postcodes), and the jagged frenzy of earlier releases has been further intensified.
The clipped, chunky beats of ‘90729’ are bound in tightly wound digital wire, the beats rigid but confused by phantom afterimages, bright stateside house chords lending warmth to an otherwise bleak vision. ‘90807’ toys with rhythmic freedoms, but again these are decoys, serving Burial-esque vocal bites and a gloomy, thoroughly synthetic vibraphone melody. ‘90731’ is jovial, even jubilant by comparison, a sensual female gasp erupting through playful rave stabs and pranksterish breaks. Heck, even the bass hoover seems perky. The clean, sleek lines and pinprick edits are custom built for large systems, striking a near perfect balance of light and shade that should charm all corners of the discotheque. Can we expect a ‘90210’ at some point?
Joshua Meggitt
