Resisting the urge for "louder, faster, harder" that tarnishes so much modern drum & bass, SpectraSoul have developed a dense, clinical style that nevertheless possesses the grit and energy necessary to move dance floors. This is their second appearance on Critical, a label known for quality control and an eagerness to shun fads and tired categories. Neither straight dance floor fodder nor lazy "liquid-funk," it's a rich and satisfying release, exemplifying SpectraSoul's minimal-yet-expressive style.
On side A, Break turns his hand to remixing SpectraSoul's 2008 smash "Alibi," a minimalist, destructive and supremely bass-heavy track that became an instant favourite among the scene's self-styled underground when it came out last August. A prolific producer, Break is already a hero of the scene's new school with a string of hits and an album to his name. On "Alibi" he applies his signature natural drum sound, replacing SpectraSoul's restrained two-step with a crisp, rolling drum break interspersed with fragments of percussion. His arrangement loses the sparseness of SpectraSoul and gains the warmth of Break's analog production desk and organic sound. Break's remix is less explosive on the dance floor but more emotive and joyous than SpectraSoul's track. Not quite what you'd call "liquid" but not quite the opposite either.
On the flipside, "Organiser" is a stripped-down, bare and cold track, distinct from Break's work in its lack of shuffling rhythms. If Break is warmly organic, "Organiser" is cold, metallic, otherworldly. A heavily distorted vocal sample commands the tune, its menacing, rasping voice sounding like the robotic overlord of rave addressing his minions. In some respects this tune fits with the so-called "minimal" sound currently being championed by artists such as Data and dBridge. But whereas minimal often sounds empty not just of sounds but of ideas, "Organiser" is full of depth and energy.
Buy Spectrasoul - Alibi (Break Remix) / Organiser at
  
Tracklist: Spectrasoul - Alibi (Break Remix) / Organiser
 A Alibi (Break Remix)
AA Organiser
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