- Etch has already made a few ripples in the UK pond this year, first with the self-released Horizons EP, and more recently with "Scattah," his contribution to Keysound Allstars Volume 2. Those releases displayed a passing affiliation with garage, but for the most part Etch's musical concerns set him apart from his Keysound-affiliated peers. Put simply, this is down to his taste for UK hardcore, which is particularly evident in his use of breakbeats, an approach that recalls breakstep, the mid-'00s dubstep variant.
The Rise EP, for the young Soundman Chronicles label, continues in much the same vein. These are methodical halftime rollers, suffused with hardcore's sonic paraphernalia—translucent diva sighs, re-pitched chords, dubwise basslines—and overlaid with a crusty coating of breakbeats. "Evangeline" is the best of the lot—the chords creamiest, the breaks funkiest. Elsewhere, there's room for improvement. "Rise" feels a little sluggish, while in "Feeling" the atmospherics sit oddly far back in the mix, leaving the percussion somewhat exposed. But each track still succeeds in taking an imaginative twist on a sadly neglected form, proving Etch to be a worthy successor to the likes of Toasty and Elemental.
TracklistA Rise
B1 Feeling
B2 Evangeline