- As Becoming Real, Toby Ridler shrouded himself in all things gloomy. An incredible FACT mix in 2010 threw together eski, dark ambient and folk, and his first few releases were similarly stark, welding grime with whatever dance music styles he could get his hands on. As time went by, Ridler moved away from the burgeoning grime revival into a more undefined place, before a catastrophic harddrive crash in 2013 scuppered his long-awaited debut album. After moving to Norway, Ridler now resurfaces with a new cassette that precedes the release of that ill-fated (and now remade) record.
LQD OIL's two beatless tracks show Ridler's gift for imposing structure on empty space. "Grime Lord" is like liquid floating in zero gravity, where creeping chiptune synths and sloshing basslines work in tandem but never quite mesh. Closer "The Service" is ominous and funereal, as choral vocals add a shade of pomp. On the dancier end of things, both ".com Futurist" and "You Will Be Deleted" offer jacked-up jungle vibes—the latter is like riding a slip-and-slide down an amen break.
These tracks are compositionally tighter than previous material. Ridler has become an expert arranger, which is why "Kick The Polka" is weak by comparison. The lumpy and linear 4/4 beat is lazy, and the sloppy kick drums distort on impact. It feels like the track came from another artist entirely. But then all of LQD OIL sounds like the work of a brand new, or at least rejuvenated, producer.
Tracklist01. Grime Lord
02. You Will Be Deleted
03. Kick The Polka
04. .com Futurist
05. The Service