As a sound with its origins so utterly entrenched in the boroughs of London – as much by the media as it is by its musicians – it seems apt that a producer from the Hague should be able to translate dubstep into a far more universal experience. It is this translation that is the heart of 2562’s Aerial; adapting, mutating and absorbing a range of influences. Familiar dubstep elements are all here, transposed alongside a liberal smattering of minimal tech and bright, synthetic ambience.
Prefaced by the sublime ‘Kameleon’ and ‘Channel One’ from lauded 12″ releases last year, Aerial takes the aesthetic of these two tracks and imbues the rest of the collection with a meticulous sense of space. The role of silence in Dave Huismans’ compositions is pivotal – ‘Moog Dub’ in particular plays on this more so than any other by pulling the silence out from underneath the beat, making what is absent almost as important as what is heard. Reverberating bass collides with a snare, synth, and oscillating click, playing off one another, fusing together. The early harshness on ‘Morvern’ subtly segues into hints of warm Berlin house, peering through the thick dub fog as hi-hats kick in. Elsewhere, minimal electronica continues to emerge as undercurrents of static drop in and out, fizzling just underneath the surface.
Aerial‘s confluence of sounds is most apparent in Huisman’ bass and low-end work. Remarkably, he is able to achieve a distinct heaviness without distortion or overbearing the rest of the sound; particularly on ‘Enforcers’ where it could have all too easily become cloying. This is one of the strongest individual tracks on the album alongside ‘Kameleon’ and ‘Greyscale’. The latter opens with a beat reminiscent of a heartbeat in its timing, before it segues back into familiar dubstep territory. Aerial might not be the crossover vehicle for 2562 like Benga and Burial’s offerings have been, but it is nevertheless an important step forward in thoughtful and brilliantly executed dubstep.
Alexandra Savvides
