- Mumdance and Logos unveiled a new take on grime when they released the first Weightless compilation in 2014. But after an explosion of experimental club music, weightless—first inspired by Wiley's beatless "Devil Mixes"—is now an established style in its own right. Delicate tracks from Strict Face and Airhead on Mumdance and Logos's Different Circles label, as well as a weird but exciting mix CD, saw the sound move away from grime tropes while absorbing other ideas. Weightless Vol. 2 shows more of that approach.
Mumdance and Logos's "Café Del Mar " was a standout on their mix CD, and its elegant stabs and restrained bassline help make it the highlight here. It feels informed by modern classical and Balearic—styles not often referenced in this corner of club music. Sharp Veins' "Already Bones" is a beautiful collage of string samples, some twisted and backmasked, while Yamaneko's "Shadow Temple Early" is a flickering synth lullaby that lacks the regal qualities of his best work.
Shapednoise and FiS, as you might expect, both take the noisy route. FiS goes hardest with his lopsided "Angels Of The Water Table," twisting grime's skeleton into something new. Shapednoise's "Deep Core Consiousness" feels like it's holding back, unable to get its point across without relying on low-end frequencies. But the low-end is where Inkke gets the balance right. "Pioneer" is the package's simplest track, just an eight-bit synth playing out a melody. But the way the bassline highlights the rough texture of chiptune is satisfying, providing an oomph some of the other tunes lack. Like the first volume, Weightless Vol. 2 is a snapshot of a sound in flux.
Tracklist01. Mumdance & Logos - Café Del Mar
02. Shapednoise - Deep Core Consciousness
03. Yamaneko - Shadow Temple Early
04. FIS - Angels Of The Water Table
05. Inkke - Pioneer
06. Sharp Veins - Already Bones