- If the previous few Diynamic 12-inches had you aching for the trash-can snares and slightly unhinged climaxes, you need not worry: Holger Behn, AKA H.O.S.H., has you covered. Under a Fig Tree is, in many ways, signature Diynamic—aside from the fact that Behn has mostly left the orchestra outside the door this time around.
To these ears, "The Valve" is the clear highlight: It's like "Heater" with a conscience, remembering that brevity is the soul of underground dance music. That means that the eventual unfurling of the tribal sample that's hinted at throughout the track's opening three-and-half minutes is that much more powerful. It's a bit awkward sounding, but having seen this work on the dance floor firsthand, it seems like the awkwardness is part of the charm. Or people just love anything ethnic these days. (A definite possibility.)
"Super Sick Bowl" starts things off on the flip by building a solid groove augmented by those sliding pieces of percussion that offer so many of Diynamic's tracks such character. And, like the label's past work, Behn can't help but generously give us a few epic breakdowns to ponder on the dance floor for just a few seconds longer than he probably should. (The first here features a vacuum cleaner that whirls around before landing on top of your brain. It takes 12 very long seconds.) Closing things, "Under a Fig Tree" makes like a suitable set closer, taking a minute to get going, a minute to unveil its yearning synth line and then even more time to reveal that it's simply Lawrence with Diynamic's ramshackle percussive effects. Nice enough, but hardly worth naming an EP after. (Oops.)
Tracklist A The Valve
B1 Super Sick Bowl
B2 Under a Fig Tree