- A lot of so-called experimental club music begins with a reference point, taking some familiar rhythm—grime, reggaeton, whatever—and putting it through a process of abstraction. Producers might take a subtractive approach, stripping it down to the skeleton, or something more additive, introducing unlikely elements from somewhere else. Turbulent Dynamics, LOFT's debut EP for Astral Plane Recordings, doesn't begin with a reference point. Sure, it uses many of club music's tools, but ultimately it's more beholden to its own style.
The record asserts itself immediately, with a ferocious drum solo sent through an otherworldly effects chain. "Yes" foreshadows the percussive gymnastics and sheer intensity of the EP's heaviest tracks, "Zissou" and "Heffalump." The former has something of a PAN affect, with its cybernetic sound design and impossible drum programming. Much like the highlight "Heffalump," its rhythms have an almost mathematical density, though rich textures keep "Zissou" from feeling academic.
Turbulent Dynamics seems to have been built around "Heffalump," the most dance floor-friendly cut. The sprawling mini-epic includes an entire playbook of ideas and techniques without feeling scattershot. It pairs next-level sound design with mind-fuck feats of rhythm, weaving a tapestry of interlocking grooves that shift and phase subtly. The track's arrangement is dialed in, too, with decisive shifts providing thrilling punctuation marks.
On "Permiter," LOFT shows his knack for audio collage, pairing widescreen sample work with soaring synthesizers. "With Eye Contact" is more melodic and has a conversational effect that makes each instrument feel like a character on a stage. It shows that LOFT can do tender as well as tough, suggesting the producer has plenty more tricks up his sleeve.
Tracklist01. Yes
02. Zissou
03. Perimeter
04. Heffalump
05. With Eye Contact