Scuba - Phenix 1

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  • Phenix 1, says Scuba, is the first instalment in a trio of EPs he'll be dropping on Hotflush this year, which sounds a bit like releasing an album by stealth. This idea is given further credence when you hear the four tracks—such is the breadth of Scuba's approach, together they sound like a mini-album. The brief "Throb" is a pulsing, atmospheric intro that moves from field recordings to a brief excerpt of Chinese strings before they're drowned in 909 handclaps. Its subtleties throw the next track, "Cyanide," into even sharper relief. This is one of the toughest things Scuba's pulled off to date, a snarling techno jam that sprints the length of its six and half minutes. "Time Relentless Time," a melancholic downtempo breakbeat track that has hints of Bat For Lashes, shows another side to Scuba altogether. Breakbeats of a far juicier kind populate "Curious Paradox," which are joined by congas, cowbells, trippy synths and rainforest-style twitterings. It sounds rather unlike Scuba but, as the entire EP hints, that's very much the point.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Throb A2 Cyanide B1 Time Relentless Time B2 Curious Paradox
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