- True to his name, Airhead, AKA Rob McAndrews, has an uncanny ability to the exploit empty space in his productions. He can work magic with reverb, and on "Shaded," one of his clubbiest tracks to date, it's reverb that matters most. With a free-fall breakdown that coasts on a repetitive rave stab, it's simple. But it's how McAndrews uses reverb to double and bunch up the notes that pushes "Shaded" into overdrive. And with wobbly little chords, plinks and plonks dotting the track elsewhere, it's detailed while holding a commanding presence on the dance floor.
"Antipolo" doesn't have any such moments of decadence—it's clever in a different way. Sauntering along at 125 BPM with a chord progression that sounds like a telephone busy signal, it's bizarre, aloof and might not seem like much at first. But it works like, say, microhouse. Every so often there's a snag or flutter in the groove, while McAndrews' hummed vocals and other details float in and out of earshot. McAndrews might be moving toward the dance floor, but he hasn't lost what made his older tracks extraordinary.
TracklistA Shaded
B Antipolo