- Danish artist Tobias Lee swims in the same stream as Total Freedom and the Janus crew. He views electronic music as a potentially destructive force against the status quo, and does almost nothing conventionally, from his DJing to the way he releases music. His footprint so far consists of a series of off-kilter, sometimes abrasive mixes, plus bootlegs and unofficial edits released "virally," as he puts it. Snipestreet is an important milestone in his career: it marks both the first time he's tried his hand at original productions and his first official EP, released by Rabit's new label Halcyon Veil.
Like many of his colleagues, Lee's music is a chaotic confluence of styles. House, ballroom, Jersey club, ambient and noise all have their place on Snipestreet, and sometimes all at once. "Heroin Hat" is the standout, if just for its simplicity. It's a wobbly house track, with some spiraling marimbas and a hissing bassline that sounds borrowed from Emptyset. The real star is the hi-hat: wet and wooshy, it moves with this odd, ethereal grace. The clever lo-fi touch makes "Heroin Hat" all the more bewildering.
There's an equally soggy feel to "Deeq," a bass-heavy clatter that seems built out of wet cardboard. "Late (Laser Ha)" is a ballroom-influenced number using hi-hats a different way. Here they sound sharp enough to slice your head off, keeping time in a hectic backdrop that includes layered Ha stabs and chimes (fans of Rizzla's recent EP take note). Snipestreet is rounded off with "Whalin (Kyselina OST)," a rumbling ambient number that instils more dread than calm. It has background details and an atmospheric quality that are less obvious in the harder tunes. Coming in between the thumpers, "Whalin" also gives the four-tracker a lopsided feel, albeit one that points towards Lee's great potential.
TracklistA1 Heroin Hat
A2 Whalin (Kyselina OST)
B1 Deeq
B2 Late (Laser Ha)