- Given that I'm probably one of the few electronic music reviewers in the western world who doesn't descend into a slobbering, awe-struck mess whenever the words "Raster," "Noton" or "dubstep" are mentioned, I was decidedly non-plussed at the prospect of this release. Andreas Tilliander, who records for Raster-Noton, has hooked up with fellow Swede Stefan Thor for what has been described as a dubstep-themed EP. The reality is somewhat different. While both "Ruddock Rave" and "0451" eschew straight beat structures, they map out a place that transcends genres. Of the two, "0451" is the more reflective, with lazy, almost languid break beats underpinning atmospheric dubby sound textures and occasional flashes of hardcore menace.
"Ruddock Rave" is more frenetic, with busy, splintered breaks fused with evocative chords and grinding analogue riffs. Kondens then filter all the elements, cut up the rhythm and pepper the arrangement with glitchy shards of percussion. It's not the most immediate DJ tool, but in the right hands, will wreck havoc. Berghain's Norman Nodge completes the package with a remix of "Ruddock Rave." While the original tracks were all about mixing disparate elements into a murky but rewarding mess, Nodge delivers a deep, layered techno groove. Its swirling chords and gently hissing percussion are at odds with the analogue-digi sound clashes that preceded it, but like the rest of Cut it's an unexpected pleasure.
TracklistA1 Ruddock Rave
A2 0451
B1 Ruddock Rave (Norman Nodge Remix)