- Kooky dubstep-inspired club music on Wisdom Teeth.
- Quite a few producers have repurposed dubstep's sparse low frequencies to make obscure, texturally-rich house and techno. Batu, Peverelist and Facta are some household (Bristol-based) names whose respective labels have been pushing this sound since the early 2010s. It's got to the point now where you almost know what to expect of a release before you even click play. Will Hofbauer's The Shovel Is A Shovel Was A Shovel, for Bristol label Wisdom Teeth, initially looks like it's going to be another one of those. It's got the familiar swung groove of Ploy's Intrigued By The Drum EP and the mystique of Facta's "Poliwhirl," but then there's something else—an undeniable quirk that feels like it could only have come from one person in particular
Hofbauer has been releasing his tribal-influenced blend of UK garage, house and dubstep for the last four years, and what's stood out most is the frankly odd sounds he uses. 2020's Where Did All The Hay Go?, for example, has a menagerie of farmyard cries, recalling the most eccentric work of Lee "Scratch" Perry.
The Shovel Is A Shovel Was A Shovel's pool of playful samples is easily the most enjoyable thing about it. A sound like a straw being sucked through an empty cup of Coke rattles along to every sub bass throb on "Subtracting The Egg," in a way that's both entrancing and funny. The vinyl scratching on the dubstep tune "Hiccup" sounds like squabbling imps, while the pitch-wobbled synths on the house-leaning title track glide from spritely to mopey. Under Hofbauer's spell, sounds come to life like the crockery in Disney's Beauty And The Beast. And just like that cartoon, there's a hint of something sinister. The lingering chimes on "Subtracting The Egg" and the echoing bells on the title track, for example, would be ominous if it weren't for Hofbauer's dainty plod of percussion.
It's nice listening to something and feeling like you're getting an insight into the person who made it. The Shovel Is A Shovel Was A Shovel makes me think Will Hofbauer must be a pretty silly guy, and listening to the EP makes me smile in the same way David Byrne's dancing in the "Once In A Lifetime" music video does. In that video, Byrne puts his own spin on ritualistic gestures and tribal dances, and while he might look awkward doing it, it's engaging. The same could be said for Hofbauer here. The dubbiness of it, the shuffling rhythms, and the dollops of sub bass—none of that's new, but the goofiness of it all is.
Tracklist01. Hiccups
02. Subtracting The Egg
03. The Shovel Is A Shovel Was A Shovel
04. Crow