Following in the footsteps of Hyperdub’s mysterious wunderkind producer Burial, whose self-titled debut LP nearly single-handedly broke dubstep to the masses last year, young Dutch producer 2562’s debut release on Tectonic moves the format even further away from its traditional mold, this time injecting it with a healthy dose of classic Berlin dub techno, a dash of neo-Detroit soul and a distinctly dancefloor oriented aesthetic.
Kicking off with ‘Channel Two,’ 2562 immediately ups the ante by inching the BPM a notch or two higher than the average dubstep track. Meanwhile, where one would generally expect to find a skeletal skank of a rhythm instead rests a solid foundation of roiling percussion, clinically precise cymbal rolls and stuttered synth drones tied together by a droning bassline that manages to retain the heaviness of dub but still serves to propel the track forward. Considering that this is out on Tectonic, a label known for trafficking in some of the heaviest bass emissions around, it’s all really rather shocking, but, thanks to the sparing use of hand percussion and touches of reverb, the mix still retains the decidedly dark and foreboding atmosphere that typifies so much dubstep. ‘Circulate’ closes the single out with tastefully deployed washes of nocturnal pads and filtered keys that recall Carl Craig or Maurizio, while another stepper of a beat moves the track onward. Equally at home during the twilight hours or the wee hours of the morning, this is by far the more accessible of the two cuts on offer here.
Be you of a more minimal persuasion or a devotee of bass weight, either one of these cuts could be easily slotted into a more adventurous DJ set without risk of clearing the floor. A solid debut from a young producer to watch, for sure.
Tracklist: 2562 - Channel Two
A Channel Two
B Circulate
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