Back in 2006, US-based electronic producer Jay Fields’ debut album under his Exillon moniker for Ad Noiseam “The Keening Dithers’ saw him operating in the deep waters of contemplative, downbeat IDM, with his previously-released fan remix of Meat Beat Manifesto’ “Horn Of Jericho’ even making an appearance amongst the tracklisting. In many senses that preceding album marked the closing of a stylistic chapter for Fields, and two years on, the sorts of moods and tempos being explored amongst the nine tracks collected on this follow-up effort “It’s OK To Dance’ couldn’ be any more divergent. As its dancecentric title suggests, “It’s OK…’ sees Fields’ productions firmly rooted in the acid 303 sound, with the rhythmic emphasis falling distinctly upon nostalgically rave-tinged techno and electro atmospheres. Opening track “Stomper’ provides a good indication of the predominant aesthetic on show here, but also represents the comparatively calm side of this album’ equation, with feathery, dubbed-out guitar strokes floating out over a crisp backdrop of tech-y snares and burbling retro-electro bass synths, shortly before the familiar zapping acid 303 squiggle begins to worm its way out from between the languid-sounding melodic synth pads.
By contrast, “Hairy Back Acid’ takes things straight out into the sorts of spiky acid-rave atmospheres recently unleashed by AFX on his recent “Analord’ series as duelling handclaps battle for space beneath an epic-sounding backdrop of synth arpeggios, before “Office Work’ offers a wry hint towards more mainstream electro-house sounds as gentle melodic pads build around clicking breakdowns, in perhaps the one moment that threatens to become bogged in exactly the sort of cheese it’s trying to satirise. Luckily, “Darkassid’ comes across as far stronger, dropping things straight into the centre of a peak-time warehouse rave, as pounding kickdrums carve a path beneath squealing 303s and jagged swells of LFO-esque bass, while the downright menacing “JOQAV2′ deftly balances an armoury of clanking, factory-line robotic rhythms, which the sorts of noodly, elastic 303 tone explorations undertaken by Luke Vibert on his “Acid Lovers’ outing. Like that aforementioned Vibert project, “It’s OK…’ doesn’ perhaps exactly push the increasingly well-worn acid envelope, but certainly sees Fields crafting some extremely enjoyable angles on the classic 303 sound – it’s also easily the most straightforward, dance-based collection I’ve heard from the Ad Noiseam label in quite some time.
