- Wisdom Teeth celebrates ten years with a typically lush compilation from a stacked crew of contributors.
- K-Lone and Facta's Wisdom Teeth label is a home for records defined by optimism and intricacy. Launched by the childhood friends in 2014, the London-based outlet found its footing releasing cutting-edge projects from dance artists like Duckett, Simo Cell and Wen. Revisiting that early material offers a reminder of how much Wisdom Teeth helped propel the UK leftfield techno scene to its current thriving state. But in recent years, Wisdom Teeth has settled into a more distinct niche, gravitating towards sounds that are equally suited for a listening bar as the club. The label has put out wiggly, colorful records, ranging from Tristan Arp's crystalline IDM to Will Hofbauer's playful techno, plus AutoTuned ambient from Korean duo Salamanda. Club Moss gathers contributions from head honchos K-Lone and Facta as well as an all-star cast of underground favourites including Purelink, Tammo Hesselink, Cousin and RAMZi. A decade in, the record proves that Wisdom Teeth's knack for glitchy refrains and fluid rhythms is stronger and more idiosyncratic than ever.
The first Wisdom Teeth compilation arrived in 2022. For To Illustrate, the label enlisted club producers to craft introspective beats at 100 BPM. This time around, K-Lone and Facta push upwards into impressively nimble terrain between 150 and 170 BPM. These are measured spins on jungle, footwork and techno, skittering and nervy yet blissed-out, like some smudged rendering of a bustling summer festival drawn with oil pastels.
Bristol producer Yushh strays from her usual broken beat sound, delivering a peppy four-on-the-floor track that wouldn't sound out of place on a Mood Hut record. Ambient trio Purelink hit a hypnotic stride with opener "Loon E," which is carried by lush pads, shimmering guitar strums and a fleeting breakbeat. It's more indebted to old-school folktronica than the trio's typical clicks-and-cut soundscaping. "tooth 4 tooth" finds Cousin refining his enviable command over echoing, textured psychedelia. Even Sputnik One's contribution, "Calvepen 666," feels uncharacteristically bright. Across five minutes, complex pads and a cumbia-laced melody push back on the Dublin DJ's trademark murk.
The middle section of the record is its darkest. But even when Club Moss gets shadowy, it's always as welcoming as any good Wisdom Teeth release. "Diamond Teeth" from LUXE is the most propulsive cut, with dubbed-out chords and airy sound effects quivering over a kick-heavy groove. Facta's "Lip Texture" contrasts vocal pads with fluttery drum sequencing, highlighting a spunky new side of his crisp production style. Jay Carder's "Mekosha" pairs ornate, half-time rhythms with wiry mono leads that remind me of late '90s Aphex Twin. The sequencing of the album mimics the peaks and valleys of a long night out. The last two tracks, from RAMZi and Leif, resolve things on a groggy note, like the first tendrils of daylight creeping over a discombobulated dance floor.
Club Moss features cuts from some of the most singular producers active in leftfield electronic music, which makes it surprising how cohesive the whole thing sounds from start to finish. Without context, Club Moss could easily pass for the output of a single artist. "We love good hooks. Even if the tune is quite weird or very sparse, it has to have a bit of a riff," Facta once told Phonica's Off The Record, reflecting on the qualities that make a record Wisdom Teeth-worthy. Every track on Club Moss bursts with life, offering a luxuriant snapshot of an exciting moment for club music that also hints at Wisdom Teeth's bright future.
Tracklist01. Purelink - Loon E
02. Cousin - tooth 4 tooth
03. K-LONE - Water Palace
04. Maya Q - Starburst
05. Yushh - 3URNRG
06. Sputnik One - Calvepen 666
07. Tammo Hesselink - Cupboard Cylinder Salon
08. Ehua - Gesso
09. LUXE - Diamond Dub
10. Jay Carder - Mekosha
11. Facta - Lip Texture
12. Airhead - New Feeling
13. Leif - Kallt
14. RAMZi - doomies