- Who pissed off Kirk Degiorgio? The UK producer, whose work under the As One guise was underscored by a serene feel—in places on his seminal Reflections album, he sounds positively bucolic—is almost unrecognisable here, as he seethes with anger through the prism of this four-tracker. The title track on this release for B12 is the polar opposite to his past work. A wall of churning chords builds into an ominous climax while in parallel, a nocturnal, pulsing bassline and thunderous claps combine to provide a visceral backing. "Isidora" tells a similar story, with a resonating bassline emanating from the bowels of Degiorgio's studio and wave upon wave of menacing chords unravelling.
It's not all raw form anger, though: "Pugnaxian Wisdom" signals a retreat from this uncharacteristic stance, with a squelchy bass framing epic string sequences. And by the time "Traverse" kicks in, Degiorgio is almost himself again; it's filled with rich, sensuous melodies that recall his previous hauntological brilliance. That it is set to the harder-edge angular rhythms, tight claps and menacing acid lines that prevail on "Shift" seems like an aside once you get lost in their textures, as one again with Degiorgio's charms.
TracklistA1 Isomer Shift
A2 Isidora
B1 Pugnaxian Wisdom
B2 Traverse