- Provocative but irritating synth workouts on Powell's label.
- Handy's first EP, Smacker, appeared on Powell's Diagonal label in June, riding the wave of hectic synth noise and mangled rhythms championed by artists like SOPHIE and PC Music. But the aesthetic was less polished, without any of the same regard for pop compositions or hooks. It was an anonymous concept record concerned with chemsex and gay orgies, pushing a sound that twisted hoover lines into squeaking contortions on tracks with names like "Oink" and "Dump."
Mature Single Despots builds on Smacker's debauchery with imaginary characters "ready to start looking for love." The music moves even further from steady tempo or regular song structures. "Pull Daddy's Finger" is an assault of bouncing and curling synth pans and screeches. There's a drum rhythm somewhere, but it feels less to keep time than to emphasise the other instrumentals. "Toothless Sucker" is the most danceable track, where a hardstyle square wave supports gassy signals that never settle.
There are other producers—Galen Tipton, RRUCCULLA, Cromulon Twins and others on the Deskpop label—channeling the bonkers, post-footwork structures of Iglooghost and Foodman through queer, femme or cute aesthetics. Handy's vibe is more muscular. And while Mature Single Despots feels provocative, ultimately, it's irritating.
Tracklist01. Pull Daddy's Finger
02. Crossword Bitch
03. Toothless Sucker
04. Mature Single Despots