- Beat Wiser couldn't be a more suitable title for a Christian Piers EP: the Londoner has a special command of drums that you might call crafty. This brawny three-tracker for Dusky's 17 Steps label fits the description, dealing in deftly executed percussive propulsion. With hints of 2014's impressive Christian Piers, Pt. 1, "Offf" and "Onn" are beat constructions encumbered by little more than steamy plumes and ghoulish Hoover samples. Both tracks are considerable in size and bass weight, but with zippy snares and hats, Piers sounds nimble as ever.
The title cut hearkens back to the acid flirtations of "Nukke 5two2," though it kicks the tempo up a notch and leans heavy on drums. Centered on a 303 bassline, it's the record's most satisfying track, even as it refuses to move anywhere but straight ahead. Piers pulls off enough rhythmic razzle-dazzle and knob-fiddling for each bar to feel progressively more dynamic. Beat Wiser is another well-crafted selection of vigorous house music that's modeled after its producer's past successes.
TracklistA1 Offf
B1 Beat Wiser
B2 Onn