- While other labels may be happy to continue to furrow their way down one particular musical avenue, Black Acre seems just as happy to showcase the housey, slo-mo missives of Blue Daisy as they are Fantastic Mr Fox's kaleidoscopic wonky or the aggressive dubstep of Akira Kiteshi. Their latest offering from London-based newcomer Dark Sky sees them throw yet another curveball, with the producer combining modern studio techniques with classic tropes of early hardcore to great effect on A-side "Something 2 Lose."
The track starts off in a relatively unassuming manner; its minimalist bleep and beats combo providing an ideal launch pad for the ascending rave stabs to slowly worm their way into the mix before a whirling dervish of amen breaks shifts things up a few gears. There's no question about "Something to Lose" being an exercise in early '90s nostalgia, but when it's done in such a fun and joyous fashion without descending into cheesy parody, it becomes extremely difficult to dislike—never mind dance to.
Flipside cut "Ghost Notes" leaves the '90s influence firmly at the door, instead taking its cues from the new generation of wonky and dubstep producers such as Rustie, Zomby and Gemmy. Drifting in on melancholic pads and stunted bleeps, it ventures through a section of loping hip-hop drums and slinky arpeggios before its huge bassline swings into action. It may be less of a peak time selection than the lead cut, but if you're looking for a dubstep track to warm the night up before things get even heavier, you could do much worse. It seems like Black Acre have hit a rich seam of form over the past twelve months, and this debut 12-inch from Dark Sky should compound their reputation as purveyors of consistently interesting dance floor oddities.
Tracklist A Something 2 Lose
B Ghost Notes