

Even by FunkinEven's standards, though, Species is spartan. Take "Beat Tunnel," which over its four minutes assaults a kick drum with flanged snare rolls, or "Aviator," which follows a similar 303-and-808 formula as "Dracula," building a strutting facsimile of late '80s electro with nothing more than an acid riff. "The Joker," too, with its bassline scratching at military snare rolls, is a triumph of restraint, until everything slows to a crawl and slowly accelerates back to fifth gear with maniacal laughter.
These track's functionality makes the two cuts that bookend Species a surprise. The opener leads with a solo cello that's subsumed by chords sticky with static, a beatless intro that does little to indicate the raw jams that follow. "Mars" is like Theo Parrish on meth, an anxious swirl of organ stabs and snapping snares at 140 BPM. It's impressive that something so manic sits alongside the most laconic cut here and still feels cohesive.
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Published /
Tue / 3 Sep 2013 -
Words /
Tom Banham -
Tracklist /
A1 Species
A2 The Joker
B1 Aviator
B2 Beat Tunnel
B3 Mars
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