- As befits its name, the stateside Borrowed Language imprint is made up of a small roster of artists scattered across the country that share a penchant for merging techno, dubstep and IDM sounds. For the label's third release, Chicago-based artist Jeff Pietro makes his production debut with this 10-inch record, Still, which checks off all the right boxes with two immaculately produced pieces of hybrid dance music. "Still 1" begins with a psychedelic, sitar-like drone, which buzzes along as intricate layers of percussion are smoothly filtered in and out of the mix. Those drums are insistent, but never peak-time intense, and there are no long breaks or dramatic transitions in sight—such effects are not required to enjoy this warm, hypnotic brew.
More grit is added with "Still 2." Anchored by deep sub-bass riffs, its dubstep-ish rhythm lacks a beat at the end of each measure; in its place, jabs of glitchy high end finish off a constant call-and-response motif. Long cymbal splashes and increasingly visceral synth swells add texture and tension as things lurch to and fro, but it's the final minute of the track that will stick in your head, as Pietro pulls back from the gloom and settles into one final glacial tone. It's a tease for sure, but at least it's a beautiful one.
Tracklist A Still 1
B Still 2