- Dazzling rhythm tracks that shape new styles out of familiar sounds.
- "Six million ways to die! Choose one!" bellows a familiar Cutty Ranks sample on "End Of The Death," the first track from Mars89's second 12-inch for Bokeh Versions. Underneath, the Japanese producer lays down a scratchy drum pattern that feels halfway between Aphex Twin's "At The Heart Of It All" and early Dizzee Rascal, pairing eldritch machinery with the square wave bass of early grime. It's a powerful formula repeated on "Run To Mall," this time with a sample from Dawn Of The Dead and strategic snares that hit like jabs to the face. These tracks, hardscrabble yet immense, are built with rudimentary sounds and epic intentions.
The B-side is less claustrophobic. "Visitor From The Ocean" is the dubbed-out cousin to "Run To Mall," the snares now chewed-up and sloppy, the rhythm rotating around calm pads. "Random Coherence" has a slippery hand percussion groove in the vein of Shackleton, but it's nailed to the ground with a massive kick drum. The biggest surprise comes from "Throbbing Pain," which sends a hi-hat pattern stuttering across the stereo field, like a Kuedo tune collapsing in on itself. Whether he's dealing with vintage grime, rinsed-out dancehall samples or, as on previous records, dub and Baltimore club, Mars89 tends to turn different styles inside out. End Of The Death is his best record yet, drawing you in with the familiar and dazzling you with the unexpected.
Tracklist01. End Of The Death
02. Run To Mall
03. Visitor From The Ocean
04. Random Coherence
05. Throbbing Pain