- If you have a few Skudge records on your shelf, chances are you looked forward to Waveless / Motion. Skudge's hardware-centric techno is a specific and consistent product: smooth dub contours, gentle inclines, slippery grooves. It's never been avant-garde, but few have done it to such an exacting standard. I, for one, am a big fan.
On first listen, Skudge's first record of the year is much the same as what's come before, despite a recent reorganisation of who does what. (Elias Landberg is now the sole producer, though the project still tours as a duo.) "Waveless" and "Motion" are immersive techno tracks that, in theory, should work well on both dance floors and in headphones. And yet they lack a couple elements that are crucial to Skudge's appeal.
Firstly, the neck-snapping swing typical of a great Skudge track—like "Convolution," "Mirage," or "Man On Wire"—is missing. "Waveless" relies on a swelling hum and pitter-patter modulations to push it forward, while "Motion" asks too much of its spidery bassline and skiffing hi-hats, which fail to give it the desired urgency. They also both have an issue that might stem from Landberg's change of approach. Each track's central idea lacks the boldness and clarity that was more apparent on the concise, elastic loops of, say, "Phantom," and much of Skudge's work from 2011 and 2012. Those faults make for a disappointing return.
TracklistA Waveless
B Motion