- Excursions in 100 BPM.
- Certain tempos are fundamental dance music concepts—120, 140, 160, 170 BPM are all the cornerstones of various genres. When you get slower, though, things aren't as clear-cut. As Latin club music becomes more popular, and more producers dig into the timeless sounds of dancehall and related genres, there's been a fruitful wave of experimentation at around 100. This in-between tempo is the focus of To Illustrate, the first compilation from Wisdom Teeth, a label that tends to veer from thrilling club music to gentle inversions of those sounds. To Illustrate is smack in the middle, with ten artists showcasing how much creative wiggle room there can be at one tempo.
One of the biggest artists to work in this tempo range lately is Nick León, a natural for this compilation. His "Separation Anxiety" is slow but sprightly, with the sinusoid sound—like wires being spliced apart—that has accompanied his recent turn towards techno flavours. "κρήνη της νύμφης," from Salamanda (another duo who are making some of the most exciting downtempo music anywhere), is spaced-out reggaeton with brittle bleeps and beautiful melodies. Hussko adds layers of glitchy sounds and a deceptively propulsive feel, while Iglew's "Rockpool Pool Party" is another easy highlight. With its cutesy sounds and intricate textures, it's something of a lowercase take on techno.
Wisdom Teeth is still a dance music label, so To Illustrate isn't all bean bag chairs and yoga mats. Label heads Facta & K-LONE channel Chicago house and post-dubstep on "Kiss Me, Can't Sleep," and Facta closes out the compilation with "Fairy Liquor," a collaboration with Bristol artist Yushh, and a slice of UK techno as clear as a crystal wine glass. The track that strikes the most perfect balance is probably the opener, Glances' "Sun Dapple," which is both bouncy and meandering, boasting a stargazing synth that reminds me more than a little of Tangerine Dream. It's feel-good, wondrous and just propulsive enough—one view of 100 BPM of many on a compilation that finds variety in focusing on just one thing.
Tracklist01. Glances - Sun Dapple
02. Facta & K-LONE - Kiss Me, Can't Sleep
03. abentis - Bicycle
04. Hussko - two nights in peter's bog
05. Iglew - Rockpool Pool Party
06. Salamanda - κρήνη της νύμφης
07. Nick León - Separation Anxiety
08. Henzo - Whirlpool Vanish
09. Clemency - Girl Food
10. Yushh & Facta - Fairy Liquor