Martyn - Left Hander

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  • The rough edges present on Martyn's wide-ranging Fabric CD were supplemented by the rickety wooden house tool "Miniluv" released on Ostgut Ton earlier this year. "Left Hander" and "Shook Up" are essentially "Miniluv" split and splayed open, roomier and about double the length. Like Cosmin TRG's recent work, there's barely any trace of dubstep left, aside from maybe the hard swing in "Left Hander." The way it subverts the tracky thump of house into a perpetually spiraling lilt is akin to Night Slugs with all the polish sanded off, keeping that newly discovered grit intact. "Left Hander" doesn't build, merely adding and subtracting in varying patterns. "Shook Up" is essentially the same thing but decidedly more conventional, a rollicking railroad of a rhythm that occasionally rides bumpy basslines, acid riffs and somersaulting piano motifs. When it really gets going it's a well-oiled machine, but like its counterpart there's no discernible progression, just elements mixed in and out. On one hand, Martyn is a natural at this kind of retro house. Since his move from drum & bass to dubstep, the Dutch producer has been known for elegant hollowed-out shells that make room for considerable aesthetic influence from other genres. The way he sneaks in unconventional sounds and ideas into an otherwise defined template is a refined science. These are wonderfully powerful, banging tools. Lacking the detail and the progression of his excellent Great Lengths album material, however, your mileage may vary.
  • Tracklist
      A Left Hander B Shook Up
RA