- Losing Max_M in May was both sudden and tragic. He was well loved and admired for his personality as much as his music. And then there's M_REC LTD, the label he spent years growing, and was one of our favorites of 2015. Milanese artist Wrong Assessment was one of Max's protégés. They worked closely together as Overall Severity, debuting at the end of 2014 on a split 10-inch with Fabrizio Lapiana. Wrong Assessment has since emerged from under Max's wing, though a sense of his guiding presence has never been far away. End Of Contemplation feels like a full break from the nest, and it would have made Max proud.
The EP has all the stripped-down and functional cool of Unsuitable Therapy, Wrong Assessment's only other solo record to date, except it's delivered with a bit more flair here. There was a deviant spirit poking through "Schapoid" on the split Toe Tag EP for Parachute, and here it is again on "Answers." In this case, however, it's a billowing synth line that creeps in around two and a half minutes. Eventually it backs down, but not until it significantly subverts the mood. It's a neat switch compared to, say, the steady, forward swell of "Stapedius."
The record's emotive clout is saved for the close, and "End Of Contemplation" is in every way as melancholy as the title implies. But for those looking for a dance floor track with bite, "Uncinate" is the standout. It's so groovy that it hooks you immediately, then a lovely melodic squiggle kicks in to finish the job. After one listen, you'll feel like you've known it a lifetime.
TracklistA1 Uncinate
A2 Stapedius
B1 Answers
B2 End of Contemplation