Matt O'Brien - From the Periphery

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  • At a time when the volume of new music available shows no sign of levelling off, it's refreshing to see that UK producer Matt O'Brien's Offkey is about to release its fourth record in as many years. As the label's name suggests, O'Brien's refusal to do anything by the book also extends down to his music making. "The Gauntlet" starts off as a standard techno groove led by tight claps and centred on a rolling rhythm, but soon enough O'Brien starts to mess with the formula; a tonal bass splutters into life, shifting frequencies at a rapid rate, while grinding robotic riffs give the track a busy, wired feeling. O'Brien opts for a similar approach on "Blackwood Freestyle," where an evil bass rides roughshod over a pleasant disco filter, while "Midnight's Track" sees him opt for another unusual combination, as a time-stretched elastic bassline underpins atmospheric, tranced out chords. Like most of O'Brien's work, it sounds like it shouldn't work, but thanks to his offbeat approach it does. He'll probably hate me for saying this, but if the producers who made "big room" electro house actually knew what they were doing or had even a modicum of imagination, this is the kind of freaked out music they'd come up with.
  • Tracklist
      A The Gauntlet B1 Blackwood Freestyle B2 Midnight's Track
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