RA Reviews: rkss - Cutoff EP on Alien Jams (Single)

"Anyway I hope you enjoy and find some solace in this EP for Alien Jams." So ends a note Londoner Robin Buckley (AKA rkss) posted to Twitter when he released Cutoff at the end of September. It's a curious statement to accompany such a slippery and contorted EP. Recorded over two years ago, during a time when Buckley was unemployed, these four misshapen house tracks try to taunt and prod more than they comfort. But it's not hard to tell how their creation might have given Buckley some relief—aside from the joy of producing such dance floor mongrels, there's a sense that he exorcised frustration through the clanging beats.

Maybe that's the kind of solace this record can provide. Even the dubby womb of "Wave" is cut through by harsh kick drums and insectoid noises. Put on "Drive" and watch the dancers undulate in sync with the blown-out bass throbs (first at halftime, then full bore), or drop "Load" and watch them jump around to its scuffed, otherworldly groove. In his Twitter note, Buckley named the likes of DJ Sprinkles, Theo Parrish and Brooklyn producer Patricia as inspirations, but Cutoff sounds more directly related to the alien sound worlds of Vessel or Beatrice Dillon. The title cut is as much about noise experimentation as it is making bold moves in the club. With any luck, these tracks are just the beginning of Buckley using twisted dance music to level his head.