Since the early nineties UK-based electronic producer Ed Upton has amassed an intimidatingly large backcatalogue of material under his DMX Krew alias, one that takes in six albums released for Aphex Twin’s Rephlex label, and that saw him release no less than four albums during 2014 alone. As its title suggests, this latest 12” EP on Super Rhythm Trax ‘5 Ways 2 Jack’ offers up five new tracks that see Upton’s established love of retro analogue electro sounds firmly intact, and come distinctly oriented towards a more gritty dancefloor. On the A-side, ‘Vicious Bleebz’ kicks things off with a streamlined wander through squelchy TB303 bass pads and harsh 4/4 snares that manages to conjure up plenty of darkly robotic vibes as ominous machine-like whirs lurk at the edges of the mix and the 303 tones gradually get modulated into acid squeals.
If the aforementioned track offers up one of this EP’s more dark and tech-centred moments, ‘Bleepology’ sees gets a bit more rave-y, sending clicking 808 toms and blocky gamecore synth beeps riding atop a rush of deep pulsing bass tones and clattering retro house rhythms that calls to mind ‘Ex:cel’ period 808 State more than anything else, while on the flipside ‘Up N’ Down’ offers up what’s easily this EP’s most eccentrically manic offering as an irritatingly insistent analogue synth line worms its way through a backdrop of steel-edged tech-house snares and kickdrums. Elsewhere, ‘Ragga Clash’ drops the bpms in favour of a juddering robo-dancehall excursion that slots stripped-back shuffling drum programming in against vast wobbling walls of analogue bass and sudden bright synth stabs, closing things off in territory closer to that of The Bug. Ed Upton’s having fun with analogue electronics, and so can you.
