- As producers who enjoy collaboration, Adrian Sherwood and Rob Ellis's chemistry is easily explained. Sherwood has made music alongside artists as diverse as Depeche Mode, Lee 'Scratch' Perry and Beastie Boys. Ellis's work with others has, for the most part, involved the dubstep nebula, including Loefah, Shackleton and Mumdance. As well as inhabiting similar sound worlds, they have a mutual respect for each other's music. Their first record together, 2015's Late Night Endless, seemed inevitable.
While that album showed Sherwood and Ellis's respective merits, it fell short on delivering something truly synergetic. If Late Night Endless was the sound of the pair sounding comfortable, their latest full-length, Man Vs. Sofa attempts to upset the balance. It does so with mixed results. There's Pinch's Swamp 81 hit "Retribution," which is given a digi-dub overhaul in the opening bars. Luscious and detailed, it morphs into an astringent and industrious broken techno romp. This one plays to Sherwood and Ellis's strengths, and it's one of the album's highlights. The dubious dubstep fix of Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence" is not.
The pianos on tracks like "Itchy Face" and "Charger"—the handiwork of Primal Scream's Martin Duffy—lift Man Vs. Sofa out of the duo's comfort zone. "Itchy Face" is built around a soaring rush of percussion, powered by cymbals and drums. "Charger" is a more textural composition full of unusual sound sources. In each case, Duffy's melodies offer something that, positioned at a distance from the other elements, enhances those tracks. Sherwood & Pinch are a highly compatible team, but on occasion their individual qualities shine through. This is particularly noticeable on the album's two vocal tracks: the uplifting "Lies," featuring Lee 'Scratch' Perry, is very Sherwood, and the Taz-assisted dread bass of "Gun Law" feels like a Pinch track. Hearing producers as accomplished as Ellis or Sherwood steal the spotlight from time to time makes Man Vs. Sofa all the more appealing.
Tracklist01. Roll Call
02. Itchy Face
03. Midnight Mindset
04. Lies
05. Unlearn
06. Man Vs. Sofa
07. Charger
08. Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence
09. Juggling Act
10. Retribution
11. Gun Law