- You can rely on Blank Mind to add something interesting to the UK dance conversation, whether with Dance's breakbeat wig-out BLNK003, Alan Johnson's hyper-syncopated "Goron Sound," or timely interventions from overseas artists (DJ Clent, AudioBoyz). This various artists EP doesn't capture the label's full stylistic breadth, and doesn't equal its best moments. But it's a solid primer to an often-overlooked pocket of UK activity.
The opening and closing tracks explore restrained, eerie moods. Dance, AKA label founder Sam Purcell, loops smeared piano samples on the brief "The Poison Dwarf," while newcomer Variete offers the stern bass-techno trudge of "Ascend." In between, two tracks take existing styles and complexify them. Duo Alan Johnson's target is post-dubstep bass music. They keep the glowering moods and hollow bass concussions, and add intricate layers of percussion that skitter across the beat. Metrist, under his L.SAE alias, applies a similar rhythmic sense to new-school industrial techno—meaning tougher drums and squalls of distortion. Neither track has a big payoff, but their clever, winding arrangements grip your attention and don't let go.
TracklistA1 Dance - The Poison Dwarf
A2 Alan Johnson - Ank
B1 L.SAE - Dices Courter
B2 Variete - Ascend