Jeremy P. Caulfield - Tumble-Dry

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  • Past releases on Ware, Trapez and his own Dumb Unit have proven Jeremy P. Caulfield to be a real minimal contender, combining bleep, growl and pep in ample measure yet also showing restraint. Both sides of 'Tumble Dry' find him too restrained, over-extended and bland. Cover art and titles hint at the summer ahead, with Caulfield lazing beneath palms, mojito in hand, rather than up the floors of Ibiza. 'Against the Rip' kicks off with dub squeaks on the offbeat and a subdued kick, fireflies dancing in the background. Hats and barely there pitter-patter congoes arrive early on, a nice clap soon after, and thus it shimmies for ten and a half pleasant minutes. 'Nude Beach' is the tougher of the two, just, with a less forgiving kick inside rhythmic knocks, soon surrounded by clicks and hiss. Hats are busier but lighter, clap underwhelming, then in come those ubiquitous hollow rattles. Reverb and tweaking are the focus here, and intricate programming and breakdown after breakdown make this the more entertaining, but again once it's found its stride it just sticks to it. It could have been a Trapez B-side three years ago, and its nine minutes are overdoing it, but it's a nice enough ride. Both are equally inessential.
RA