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artist.....: Kris Wadsworth
album......: Popularity
year.......: 2014
label......: Hypercolour
HYPECD001
source.....: CD-R
moodswing..: Electronic
releasesize:120.64 MB
tracks.....: 10
length.....: 78:24
encoder....: VBR LAME 3.98.4 -v0
quality....: avg. 214kbps
scenealized: 03.18.2015
Kris Wadsworth enjoys conveying
messages through his music. An
outspoken personality by his own
admittance, his work has often had a
heavily sardonic current running
through it, made by a man unafraid to
poke fun at himself or the world around
him. His latest stab at the scene
arrives in the form of his second
studio album, Popularity. Speaking
recently to RA, Wadsworth outlined the
project as a satirical critique of the
music-making masses, a reaction to
producers who "wake up and think: 'Fuck
creativity, how can I be famous?'" The
upshot of such a comment is that a
mirror is held up to Wadsworth's own
musical credibility. In the case of
Popularity, the Detroit native's
reputation for keeping it real remains
largely intact.
Since he started releasing records in
2005, Wadsworth has formed
relationships with a range of labels,
including Morris Audio, One Records and
Get Physical. It's his bond with
London's Hypercolour, though, that has
remained constant throughout his
career, from 2008's Deport This EP
right through to Popularity. In a show
of gratitude, Wadsworth dedicated the
LP's opening track, "Hypercolour
Theme," to label managers Alex Jones
and Jamie Russell. It's a move that
almost backfires, thanks to a seemingly
endless loop of the word "boys,"
pitched at various grating degrees.
Only when the track's robust, chugging
groove takes hold does the gesture live
up to its intention.
Quickly dusting himself off, Wadsworth
launches straight into the kind of
guttural club tracks that have long
been his trademark. Stockhausen's
musings work well over the propulsive
growls of "Hot Karl," while the mean
303 swing of "Cock Soup" charts
Wadsworth's recent dip into darker
moods (as seen on his vinyl-only label,
URANUS). It's on "Neo Nasty," though,
that the first half hits its apex,
treating the listener to one of the
most supple and captivating basslines
in the producer's catalogue.
Bar "Public Relations," whose jittery
gait feels at odds with the album's
roguish techno core, all of the tracks
on Popularity are keepers. "Evolove" is
techno at its smooth and sultry best,
while the title track hammers home its
point with buff acid licks and a
muffled yet audibly didactic sample.
Even "Common Knowledge," which sees
Wadsworth sign off with a slice of
moody, well-ventilated jungle, is
executed with a conviction that was
lacking on his 2012 debut, Life And
Death. Though it had a few decent cuts,
there was something about that one that
never quite felt right (the big-room
appeal of Get Physical always seemed a
strange fit for Wadsworth's louche
personality). But in Hypercolour he's
found a label that suits him.
Popularity is a record made by a man
comfortable in his surroundings. That,
above all else, seems to be its main
message.
- Resident Advisor
psst, more info at hypercolour.co.uk
01 Hypercolour Theme 07:43
02 Hot Karl 08:47
03 Cock Soup 07:13
04 Neo Nasty 06:27
05 Public Relations 05:45
06 Verhexen 08:09
07 Evolove 08:51
08 Mesmerist 08:57
09 Popularity 10:18
10 Common Knowledge 06:14