Separately, Leeds-based producers Jack Sparrow and Ruckspin (real names Ryan Gath and Dom Howard) have established a presence amongst the UK dubstep scene, with 12” releases on labels including Earwax and Pushing Red. On the heels of their recent ‘The City / Teacher’ 12” this debut self-titled album offers up the first fruits of their collaboration as Author, with the eight tracks collected here taking their aesthetic cues more from the smoky likes of The Herbaliser and Kruder & Dorfmeister and then passing them through an afterhours-oriented, chilled dubstep filter. ‘Turn’ sees the mood venturing towards futuristic jazz-soul as Ed Thomas’ smooth soul vocals glide like honey over a weary-sounding backdrop of slow, lumbering beats and wobbling sub-bass, the echo of majestic muted trumpets adding just the right melancholic edge as ambient pads shimmer in the distance, before ‘Revolutions’ sees slow loping dubstep rhythms, trailing electronics and ghostly jazz horns providing an eerily atmospheric backdrop for Black Panther spoken samples that calls to mind Skull Disco’s phantom-like creep.
Elsewhere, ‘Dashiki’ sees subtle techno elements beginning to creep into the mix as a rattling backbone of tribal percussion rolls beneath moody, cinematic sounding synth swells and the forlorn trail of violins in what’s easily one of this collection’s most evocative moments, before ‘Fix’ ushers forth a super-deep wander out into skipping garage-inflected house rhythms, dubbed-out male soul vocals and blippy electronics that’s a close cousin to the likes of Martyn and 2562 in its epic sweep. Gorgeously deep and subtle stuff geared towards the late nights in.
Chris Downton
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