- These days there's no shortage of British producers peddling a dark, hybrid form of techno schooled in the UK's soundsystem heritage. Batu—the latest to debut on Pinch's new Cold Recordings label—occupies the same fertile ground as Keysound affiliates like Beneath and dark Bristol operators like Hodge and Livity Sound. Fortunately, as his debut single demonstrates, there still seems to be ample room for new takes on the form.
"Eraser" trudges along at a 120 BPM, its UK funky-indebted syncopations feeling more oppressive than propulsive. That's clearly the point though; the Metalheadz/El-B/DMZ paranoia axis is a clear influence, particularly in the hollow background sonics, which are like an icy draft on sweat-cooled skin. Even with that caveat, Batu's constantly shifting rhythms, while smart, can feel frustratingly unsettled at points. Fortunately "Stairwells" is an improvement in this regard. Aside from being a few BPM brisker, the rattlesnake bongos work up a mean groove, unfolding methodically under warped synths and grim down-pitched string stabs. It's possible to hear the echoes of bygone London dance floors in these tracks, and something in their ghostly atmospherics and baleful melodies seems to suggest dereliction. If the intention behind Pinch's new imprint is to introduce a gust of alienation onto contemporary dance floors—and it certainly seems that way—then he's doing a sterling job so far.
Tracklist A Eraser
AA Stairwells