a r t i s t : Spatial
t i t l e : infra001 EP
d a t e : 2008
l a b e l : Infrasonics
c a t : infra001
s o u r c e : Vinyl
g e n r e : Bass/Electronic/Dubstep
r l s. d a t e : Dec/2008
t r a c k s : 02
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 16,10 MB
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soundsoftheuniverse:
With a debut EP boasting two journeys into rumbling, echoing,
haunted dancehall minimalism, each known by a five-figure code
number rather than a name, low frequency newcomer Spatial is
one of a growing band of post-Burial producers whose attention
to evocative detail in their music is as great as their
reluctance to self-promote. ôHereÆs my sound,ö they seem to
say ôand thatÆs all I need to tell you.ö In some hands this
anti-stance could be massaged into an attention-diverting
image in itself, but Spatial makes a compelling case for the
virtues of less versus more and may well have produced one of
2009Æs most essential dubstep releases, right at the start of
the year. Joe MuggsÆ review in The Wire tells it like thisà
ô[2008Æs] clearest trend in dubstep is "future garage", a
technologically-enhanced re-imagining of the sound's 2-step
origins by Martyn, 2562, Ramadanman & co. On his debut
productions, Londoner Spatial could have risked simply
reworking this new formula: the microhouse clicks, Basic
Channel washes and clean subs are certainly present and
correct. However his understanding of original UK garage's
clipped shuffle, snappy woodblock hits and compressed emotion
goes way beyond pastiche, and the incorporation of older rave
elements like æ80723Æs Detroit strings and riffs and æ80207Æs
contrast between cushioning alto vocal samples and sharp stabs
creates a distinctive sound world. Most of all, though, it's
the expert manipulation of space to give a sense of buoyancy,
of loosened gravity, that make stepping inside these four
tracks so inviting."
Strictly limited edition pressing of 500 û grab this now and
file your bragging rights for later use.
boomkat:
Issuing the very last word on the state of dubstep's constant
mutations in 2008, Londoner Spatial drops an exceptional 10"
of clipped post-Burial/future-garage productions for the newly
coined Infrasonics imprint - and right at the very end of 2008
has produced what will no doubt be a true collectors item a
few months down the line. Housed in a minimalist sleeve and
bearing little other info than a five letter code and the
label's URL, the aesthetic is deliberately stripped and
scoured clean, much like the beats inside. '80207' is an
absolutely killer slice of crisp and spacious garage dub
progressions, sounding like the perfect union of Andy Stott's
techno dub fixation crossbred with Burial's swung patterns and
2562's chrome plated production gloss, but adds old skool rave
strafes and some cybotronic mechanics of his own for a truly
shocking cut. The flipside numbered '70810' rewrites the
formula even further, starting with a El-B fashioned rhythmic
framework, Spatial reinforces the rhythm with slashing
brushstrokes to remove any unneccessary beats, and douses the
whole thing with a ghostly atmosphere reminiscent of Burial or
Andy Stott's finest. It's either the end of a vintage year for
garage futurisms or the start of a very promising 2009, either
way, this is just awesome. Be quick.
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01-80207 [06:54]
02-70810 [05:12]
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12:06 min