Under his Druid Cloak alias, high fantasy-obsessed Ohio-based electronic producer Joseph Morris has spent the last couple of years building up a steady reputation as a name to watch in beats and bass circles, bolstered by support from the likes of DJ Shadow and Dorian Concept. This latest release on Apothecary Compositions ‘Lore: Book One’ kicks off a trilogy of albums intended to further explore the narrative universe established on previous Druid Cloak releases, and apparently centres around main character Joseph Wolff’s transformation into the Shadow Prince (the owner of the eponymous Druid Cloak). In absence of accompanying sleeve notes and given that the eight tracks collected here are completely instrumental electronics, I’ll have to take Morris’ word for it regarding the overrarching conceptual themes, though there’s certainly a filmic feel to many of the tracks here. As with preceding Druid Cloak releases, there’s also a palpably restless feel to the way that Morris flits between styles and moods, making this a record that’s somewhat difficult to categorise as a whole.
‘Wraithborne Falls’ kicks off the quest with a wash of delayed out horror movie screams as urgent and dramatic-sounding synth-orchestral chords gather pace, only to sudden drop out in favour of delicate keys as things suddenly lock down into a jittery footwork breakdown sections, cut-up female vocals stuttering back and forth against washes of filmic tension. As a curtain lifter, it’s certainly a spectacular one, highlighting Morris’ programming dexterity alongside his sense of space. ‘Quills’ meanwhile surges and seethes like an angry machine as rattling juke snare rolls coalecsce into crashing, off-centre house kickdrums and high-pitched rave-y stabs battle for space alongside moody synth atmospheres, before ‘The Tusk’ locks things down into juddering dubstep bass swells, crisp footwork snare patterns wrapping themselves like barbwire against eerily cold John Carpenter-esque synths. Well worth tracking down – ‘Lore: Book One’ is available as a limited run of just 50 CD copies, with a download version also available.
