- Scientific Dreamz Of U doesn't want to be taken too seriously. Everything about the producer's public persona screams tongue-in-cheek, from his goofy artist name and track titles, to the mock-transcendental spiels that accompany his social media posts. Maybe it's a comment on chin-stroking techno culture, or, more likely, just someone finding fun in the mundane aspects of being an artist. Either way, it's an interesting approach when considered next to to the young Londoner's music, which, for the most part, has been anything but lighthearted.
Across five releases, Scientific Dreamz Of U has honed a sound that defies genre, meshing elements from techno, house, EBM, industrial and acid into a shadowy, psychedelic style. (Think Andrew Weatherall when he's in a bad mood.) For his wonderfully titled Afloat, On Complex Wings EP, SDOU returns to Scottish label Tabernacle with four raw, EBM-indebted grooves that rank among his grungiest work to date. Each track varies in grit and intensity, and "Disintegration Rhythm" is the fiercest. A barrage of live-sounding kicks, reverb-soaked claps and scorching electric guitar hits you from the start, followed by a mean bassline that sends snares and sawtooth synths scattering in every direction. As openers go, it's a beast. "Dreamz Of A Pyschic Europe" is trickier, its airy intro gradually descending into another maelstrom of dark choral melodies and leaden pads.
From Junior Loves and Scientific Dreamz Of U's split full-length on 1080p, "Precision Monolithics (Nitebar Adjustment)" returns here as a shorter version, retooled and remastered for the club. It's another heavy-breathing growler, with a tunnelling acid line to boot. By this point, the EP's dense sonics might wear on the ears, but it's worth powering through to the standout closer, "New Dreamz Of The Flesh." At a gurgling 100 BPM, the track has a low, synthesised vocal so catchy you'll be certain you've heard it before. Afloat, On Complex Wings further proves that while SDOU might play the joker outside the studio, his work deserves nothing but full, unsmiling attention.
TracklistA1 Disintegration Rhythm
A2 Dreamz Of A Psychic Europe
B1 Precision Monolithics (Nitebar Adjustment}
B2 New Dreamz Of The Flesh