Dead Fader - Work It, No

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  • The new EP from Dead Fader should probably come with a warning sticker: "Do not operate heavy machinery under the influence of this record. If you feel the onset of a headache, call your doctor." Dead Fader's sound is ugly, and they know it. They may try to throw you off the trail with titles reminiscent of Kid606's youthfully insouciant wordplay, like "Das Hamster" and "Industrial Funk Stains," but mostly they're just interested in making your ears bleed. "Industrial Funk Stains" resuscitates the squeal of Aphex Twin's "Ventolin" over a crushing dubstep beat with the distortion turned up to 11; "Bosched" starts out with a lurching, lunging bass-and-drums wallop at 155 BPM—a little like Aardvarck's heavy metal-sampling dubstep tracks, but even more pissed off—and culminates in a melody reminiscent of angry hornets (or kazoo-playing madmen). Fortunately, it's not merely about the bombast: there's a finesse, and even a kind of sensuality, to their brute violence. It takes skill to make a sound so all-consuming of nothing more than drum machines and effects, as they seem to have done. Brooklyn rapper and freak-for-hire Sensational lends his unhinged touch to the pitch-shifting "Fishsh," while "Das Hamster" sneaks a dissonant piano melody into its apocalyptic firestorm, ending on a surprisingly dulcet note; even listeners of frail disposition may find themselves comforted by its deathly embrace.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Bosched A2 Fishsh B1 Industrial Funk Stains B2 Das Hamster
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