- Rabit's deconstructive urges have led him into some pretty extreme places. His grime hybrids are often bracingly sparse, their beats slowed to a frostbitten crawl or intercut with yawning silences. On Baptizm, his first EP for Tri Angle, the Texan condenses his ingredients down to a thicker consistency, though it feels like the process is only half-complete.
"Bloody Eye" draws on a familiar toolkit of bass pulses, gunshots and grinding metallic concussions. Rabit can surely make these sci-fi beatdowns in his sleep by now, and this one feels a little perfunctory. "Straps," with its pummeling kick and snare tattoos, pushes things further. Its hi-hats rattle like dungeon chains and there's an incredible gusting heat to its bass notes, as if Rabit has bottled the whooshing backdraft from an enormous fire. Elsewhere, he's back to his old minimalist tricks. "Imp"'s feathery chords are intriguing but insubstantial. Their promise is delivered upon more fully in "Hex," an elegant rap instrumental with a hint of the baroque to it. It's the best track of the lot, but at just over two minutes in length, it's more of a tease than a full disclosure.
Tracklist01. Imp
02. Bloody Eye
03. Hex
04. Straps