- With releases from Kowton and Visionist in the bag, Matti Pentikäinen and Risto Roman's Helsinki-based Signal Life label is shaping up to be an excellent source of stripped-back, growling bass music. This EP from Pentikäinen's own Twwth (formerly Teeth) project keeps the faith in some style, with flinty beats and growling slabs of low-end. The title track is a highlight, with a gloriously aggro-soaked vocal proclaiming "I got cash in fuck-you quantities" over a piledriver bass drum and a perpetually descending bassline.
Elsewhere, the first half of "Naomi XX" pairs stop-start percussion with a smooth female vocal loop, before a breakdown ushers in intoxicatingly dusty pads and distorted vocals that could be from a mid-period Burial record. "Boy U Down Wit It"'s staccato percussion and honey-fried vocal snippets create a similar mood to the first half of "Naomi XX," while "Sweet Nectar" teams more atmospheric vocal loops with clicking hats, sci-fi synths and ominous bass. Digital bonus track "Lined Dot Dub" boings and clicks in similar fashion, closing out a package that's low on variation but high on quality.
TracklistA1 Naomi XX
A2 Boy You Down With It
B1 Thousand Million
B2 Sweet Nectar