- Inspired by London's industrial backdrop, this sparse, contemplative LP channels the euphoria of a warehouse party.
- The new album from Richard Fearless, best known as Death In Vegas, is inspired in part by the watery yet industrial backdrop of his London studio, the Metal Box, which sits at the intersection of the Thames and Lea rivers. Deep Rave Memory is a reflection of Fearless's immediate physical environment, but it also draws from a wide net of influences (King Tubby, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Mika Vainio, Joy Division). While the album's title suggests nostalgia, it also reshapes what "deep rave memory" means. The name is fitting, as these tracks suggest the contemplative mood found in the euphoria of a warehouse at 8 AM.
The airy ambient opener, "Vision Of You," gives way to "New Perspective," where an off-kilter kick is accompanied by a ragged riff and droning echoes. The album then turns left with "Devil On Horseback" and its gnarled acid and metallic spasms. Deep Rave Memory's harsher, cathartic dance floor moments are nicely juxtaposed with lighter ones. In "Acid Angels," 303 lines are joined by an oscillating synth humming above a glowing pulse. Tracks like this, where emotional antipodes are blended to conjure something otherworldly, are Fearless's best. "Broken Beauty" also achieves this, as does the title track, where the album finds its thematic center.
With a couple of cuts hovering around ten minutes, the album requires patience but remains accessible. An intention to transport the listener is clear. Fearless shows this sentiment in "Driving With Roedelius," an 11-minute homage to the kosmische master from whom the track takes its name. The album closes with the lush, melodic "Broken Beauty," a piece influenced by the elegant simplicity of Robert Frank and William Eggleston's photography. "The sparse allure of the best dub and techno is something I'm always striving for," Fearless said about that closing track. "Being able to conjure emotion with the fewest possible elements. To not fix what's broken, but to make it shine." Deep Rave Memory accomplishes just that.
Tracklist01. Vision Of You
02. New Perspective
03. Devil On Horseback
04. Acid Angels
05. Deep Rave Memory
06. Atlas Of Insanity
07. Driving With Roedelius
08. Broken Beauty