- Parris is better known as a behind-the-scenes guy. He runs the Soundman Chronicles label, which spun out of Keysound's moody orbit and has released young British producers like Wen and Etch. He worked for Soho's Black Market Records for several years, and is involved with Tempa, a logical fit given that his favoured music views current styles through the smoky lens of golden-era dubstep. As a producer, his achievements to date are less impressive: a solid collaborative 12-inch with Wen is his only official release. With his Burr / Blue single for Idle Hands, that looks set to change.
These two simple, extremely stylish tracks pay homage to the blue moods and wide-open spaces of Mala. In a crowded field of dubstep admirers working at techno tempo, Parris's angle is unique. His chords sound like emaciated dub guitar samples, looped and repitched to form twinkling dust clouds. His drumwork is muted and thoughtful. Each element is carefully placed, leaving ample space for the enormous sub lines that power things along.
"Blue" is excellent, a thoughtful head-nodder with gentle gusts of wind whistling through its cavernous spaces. But "Burr" is the pick of the pair thanks to its bassline, a ponderous, dubwise melody that manages to be intensely whistle-able despite sitting at the extreme end of the frequency spectrum. Heard over a decent soundsystem, Parris's bass manages to be both chest-crushing and oddly comforting, like a full-body embrace. For a disciple of DMZ, there's no higher compliment.