Solo Peverelist joints have become a rarity in recent years, with his last 12-inch appearing in 2013 as the fifth record on Livity Sound. (Fans will remember his side on the 12,000 Seconds cassette last year, but its strange rules and format make it more of an experimental detour.) Over two years later, Tom Ford closes out a relatively slow year for his label with a two-tracker all to himself. And what's great about Undulate / Grit is that, for all the expectations a release like this might have, Ford has rarely sounded more cooly focused. Even amidst the flurry and delirium of "Grit," its core 808 pattern never escapes us or loses its momentum. Those seasick synths in the midsection top off an especially lavish and frisky groove.
If the B-side is the Bristolian with his hair down then "Undulate" sounds groomed for a classy night out—this one is so dialed in, not a stray frequency or happy accident could exist. It's a brisk techno tool with signature percussive flourishes and cross-genre sensibilities. The title is something of a misnomer: the low-end doesn't undulate so much as it ricochets, flexing that bulbous counterhythm against ping-pong synths, staccato chords and rattling hi-hats. With well-oiled precision complementing the flip's wild proclivities, Livity Sound's final 12-inch of 2015 couldn't have left things on a better note.
If the B-side is the Bristolian with his hair down then "Undulate" sounds groomed for a classy night out—this one is so dialed in, not a stray frequency or happy accident could exist. It's a brisk techno tool with signature percussive flourishes and cross-genre sensibilities. The title is something of a misnomer: the low-end doesn't undulate so much as it ricochets, flexing that bulbous counterhythm against ping-pong synths, staccato chords and rattling hi-hats. With well-oiled precision complementing the flip's wild proclivities, Livity Sound's final 12-inch of 2015 couldn't have left things on a better note.
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Published /
Mon / 16 Nov 2015 -
Words /
Patric Fallon -
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Tracklist /
A Undulate
B Grit
Midlands
Berlin
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