- The production duo of Instra:mental are famed for last year's "Watching You," a tune which brought the world of drum & bass and dubstep together, fusing half-time d&b breaks with thick Masonic bass weight in a falsetto-laced anthem. It's been somewhat of a defining move for them, seeing the group move downward in tempo, and stripping back their sound to minimal drums and vintage synthesizers. They've been rewarded for their efforts with a Rinse.fm show, a resident slot at—and mix CD for—FabricLive and releases on Exit, Apple Pips, [nakedlunch] and their own NonPlus+ imprint.
Eschewing any inclination for 170bpm here, "Let's Talk" is a slow broiled deep house tune. It capitalizes on the warm clicky tone of the bass drum that punches through the combination of background chime and static with constant intent. It lets the pitter patter of the snare slap dictate the song sections, as a down-pitched vocal finds its way into the mix. Setting the mood perfectly with lyrics about forthcoming evening plans, the ominous sense of foreboding from the pulsing synthesizer bass and the calm sheen of the pads somehow make it eerily palatable.
"Vicodin" ups the tempo to a more recognisable dubstep pace, instantly sounding more like the duo's work on Appleblim's Apple Pips. It's a piece whose speed is determined by the constant flicker of hi-hats and a lo-passed kick drum that booms heartily without any top end. The result is a deep and spatially aware roller that seeps subliminally.
As if further proof of Instra:mental's originality and analogue awareness was needed, Let's Talk/Vicodin serves as an ideal snapshot into the duo's world of vintage synthesizers and their calm approach to inspiring movement on dance floors. Whether it's dark and wispy or anxious and floaty, Instra:mental succeed in conveying their mood of choice.
Tracklist A Let's Talk
B Vicodin