- Sometimes it's a good idea to just relent and let the beat take control. Perhaps try Brighton-based Bobby Champs, purveyor of a brand of big-boned, sharp-elbowed techno. Subtle? Nah. That's for aesthetes. Instead, Champs' visceral debut for Pictures Music—on a bit of an upward curve with notable releases from Dauwd and Lapalux in the last 12 months—reaches out for the throat and keeps the glove pressed there.
It kicks off with "Moonlight," which whips angular breakbeats into the mix, topping out with a frazzled synth refrain, before "All Night" ups the toughness exponentially. It's a straightahead, fire-breathing peak-time neutron bomb. Want to catch your breath for a moment? Well, you can't, as "Lucid" rapidly hovers into view led out by a robotic stomp and vocal cut-ups and synths set to attack mode. As if to drive the point home, Champs clotheslines you with a snarling reprise of the opener, although "Moonlight Dub" isn't too discernibly different from its sibling. Prepare to be charmed and overwhelmed in equal measure.
Tracklist 01. Moonlight
02. All Night
03. Lucid
04. Moonlight (Dub)