- Outstanding electro.
- Close your eyes and picture yourself in Los Angeles. You whip through the hills in a convertible, hazy orange sunset off in the distance. One visit to Hollywood will set these rosy stereotypes straight. Around the corner from the red carpet, there's a houseless encampment by the freeway. Moving from downtown into the warehouse-dotted Fashion District, the proximity of the haves and have-nots is never more jarring.
For years, Jason James, AKA Force Placement, has roamed the dark alleys of LA searching for life. In addition to making dance music as Force Placement, he has a noise project (Nu Sire), plays in punk and hardcore bands, and is one of the primary agitators behind The Black Lodge, a key LA underground bringing the likes of Claude Young, Traxx and Ron Morelli to the Southland.
Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that James's new EP, for the similarly uncompromising LA label and party series Private Selection, is prime devil's hour material. The record begins with slow, lurching jams like "Lycanthrope," which builds on an ominous baritone chant. Then, James unleashes a series of electro bombs. "Pressure Points" is essential Drexciyan-rooted funk. "Séance" is a spacious cut with sustained bass and a soaring lead reminiscent of top modern purveyors of the form, like Privacy.
Tracklist01. Lycanthrope
02. Millipede
03. Pressure Points
04. Séance
05. Sunken Coast