Rude 66 "B-Day" (Djax-Up Beats)
Ok, here's a short review of Rude 66 I promised ages ago. Knowing that
Djax is pretty widely available (for a relatively underground label) you
may have heard the record already, but anyway here it goe--
First, the sound quality of the whole record is very good, the
production is crisp -- and correct me Rude if I'm wrong but I think you
use more of the middle-range frequencies than usual, so it sounds
somewhat brighter and fuller. I should mention too, it is not minimal as
Operator's electro.
The snares are nice all throughout. In "B-Day" tyhey are more like an
acoustic snare than the rapid attack firecracker type from most electro,
I think.
And now onto the music itself: the first and title track "B-Day" is full
of drumrolls and has a very nice drone. This drone is menacing and
really creates mood, but after over halfway through it turns very
mellow, the drums breakdown, and it becomes a whole different vibe
(can't think of an influential artist now, but I'm sure others can), a
diadactic change from the nightmarish first half (which will return
again in the end). Quite melodramatic, and I think what makes this
track most memorable. As in most of the other tracks, Rude plays with
the percussions a lot; there are drumrolls regularly, and snares
temporarily go in place of the kickdrum and vice versa (not the best way
to explain it, but just know it can mess up your mix unless you plan in
advance) Some other technical details: the nicely filtered cymbals(?)
add to the chaos -- and quite nice acidic melodies begin ringing shortly
after the drones mellows out.
The second track is more repetitious (a looping bass chord adds to
this), though the beat is sorta non-conformist (for lack of better words
:-). Again the beat breaks down and the mood changes a bit after halfway
through. I haven't really heard enough of this. I did hear a vocal
sample though.
For me, the flip side is the more wicked half. First track, "No Cure"
has a good, nice beat using handclaps, a good funky bass-rhythm, a
high-pitched background sound for adding suspense and horror, and a
sample "There is no cure". But because it's still a playful sounding
track (thanks to the funk) I think it's saying subconsciously that it's
okay to laugh in the face of tragedy. This would be my favorite track
of the bunch.
The second track is a 4/4 beat with a very evil-sounding "gong", and
shouldn't be played for the weak-at-heart :-). But I can get into this
as much as that other insane & crazy techno from across the Thames
River, from those crazy blokes, Cristian Vogel, Subhead, etc. So, I
think this is a quality-sounding for a trippy track. ?: Is this what a
lot of Bunker releases are like?
In sum, I really like the EP because it is unusual from what I normally
get; I particularly like the fierceness of "B-Day" (and its reversal,
in the break). I have a preference for funk though, so that's why I may
like "No Cure" best. There is some of your own style, Rude, but there's
still potential to grow from what you have here. There's a lot of speed
in B-Day, and I sometimes feel like listening to it at -4; at that speed
I can also start to notice more the acid melody that comes later.
-Paul