- A downtempo chiller leans into the newfound influence of Bristol bass.
- Levi Bruce came up in tandem with the 2010s Canadian deep house boom, serving up lopsided, sun-soaked beats as Unknown Mobile. Dropping projects at a steady clip on labels including Normals Welcome, Pacific Rhythm and Planet Euphorique, his early records landed in the same vein as the music from eventual collaborators CFCF and Patrick Holland. Bruce's output tends to be dancey, but his work draws inspiration from easygoing activities like hiking, travel and nerding out about natural wine. Over the last few years, he's laid fairly low in the electronic scene. He occasionally resurfaces for inky sets under the moniker DJ Leaves, but mostly enjoys the healthy lifestyle of an architecture intern in the remote town of Whitehorse, Yukon.
It seems like a pleasant change of pace from afar, and not one that would necessarily spur someone to start making dubstep. Yet War Piece, which marks Bruce's first original material since the jazzy 2022 LP Aurora, leans into a darker side of the Unknown Mobile formula. This was first hinted at on the 2019 release Mobile Sorcery, but never explored at length. This new split finds Bruce teaming up with rising Bristol DJ (and Martyn protegé) Mulholland and arrives via Berlin club label Banoffee Pies. Across four tracks, deep synths churn beneath clicky grooves and futuristic effects. It's brash, yet nuanced, and Bruce's newer direction matches Mulholland's knack for unpredictable turns.
Bruce's tracks explore broken drum machine beats and rattling basslines. "Goo" is the most severe cut he's ever made, driven by distorted synths and vocal chops that sound as if they're being strangled. "Toll Booth" is propelled by heavy low-end, but rattly hand drums and a warbled voice sample lend the music an air of mystery. Mulholland's contributions are restless and unpredictable. "442 Wenger" shifts between half-time and jungle rhythms, breaking up the drums with low-slung synths so dense and textured that they could pass for the work of Joy Orbison. The title track is the most inviting cut on the EP: laser-like synths, jingling tambourine and tense cross-stick snares introduce warmth into an otherwise austere record. Over the course of War Piece, Bruce and Mulholland each display an impressive command over spaciousness and stimulation.
Tracklist01. Unknown Mobile - Toll Booth
02. Unknown Mobile - Goo
03. Mulholland - 442-Wenger
04. Mulholland - War Piece