- Clever sound design is one of Rob Ellis's many fortes. A balanced application of dread is another, because too much can turn a dubstep tune into a caricature. Space might be the most important ingredient of all, and Pinch's best tracks are cavernous and uncluttered. There's something effortlessly introspective about them as well—you're coaxed inwards, not pulled in by force. Brain Scan puts all of Ellis's trademarks to use.
"Abducted" is the most dread-filled track of the three. It's classic murky dubstep, with rolling sub-bass, cold synths and foggy mists. Samples and pressurised sonic treatments add a narrative layer to this heavy-lidded creeper. An electrified bassline runs through "Brain Scan," which is poked and prodded into action by vibrating details at either end. "Street Light" aches with bass and shimmers with iridescence. Pinch's purist sound has become more refined and intoxicating with age.
TracklistA1 Brain Scan
B1 Street Light
B2 Abducted