San Francisco based Lynn Standafer has amassed a respectable catalogue of releases under the Enduser non de plume since 2002. Inhabiting the space between drum and bass, mentalist cut-up madness and IDM, Pushing Back, released at the tail end of last year, presents an interesting and coherent interpretation of the (break)core sounds of this corner of the musical universe.
The ’93 era jungle feel of the opening track “Starting… Now’ sets the tone for an album that hints at where breakbeat-driven music has been and also points towards some of the routes that it may travel down as it metamorphoses into the future. The slurred jazz vocal of City Centre Offices associate Kazumi excellently compliments the noir-ish atmosphere on “Genesis’. Ad Noiseam label-mates DJ Hidden and Bong-Ra get into the action with remixes pushing the sound closer towards the territory that typifies the breakcore sound, a rotating platter of pummelling semi-familiar breaks and glacial synth lines. “An Apology’ gets the mix just right, featuring a similar palate to the remixes, but wavering just this side of chaos, with the cascading drum patterns being deployed like depth charges.
Late nineties “drill and bass’ provided some exhilarating moments before it disappeared up its own behind; with a general consensus that it was music made by boffins for late-comer students more at home in a smoky living-room than soaking up the vibe of a rave. Such dismissive and simplistic stereotypes have lost their relevance as breakbeat oriented music has radiated out from its birthplace to be enthusiastically adopted by heads the world over. Pushing Back certainly contributes to this tradition, and should appeal to those with a bent for the rough/smooth dichotomy of breakcore.
Oliver Laing
