The Pole versions are clinical and expansive with a deft audio knife having been applied to the soundscapes, leaving a lot more space around the various sonic elements.
[Release page] Stefan Betke (aka Pole) remixes three tracks from Swedish Duo Roll The Dice’s 2011 album In Dust for this 12” release on the Leaf label. The tracks have been renamed in standard dub fashion so that “Calling All Workers” is retitled “Calling Dub Workers,” “Idle Hands” is “Echo Hands” and “The Skull Is Built Into The Tool” is now “The Skull Is Built Into The Version.” Snappy, I’m sure you’ll agree. The original album is a slow journeying collection of synth exploration and field recordings hanging from sparse piano tinkles and ghostly guitar drops. It was very well received globally, although I found it a little bit on the dirgey side in places. The Pole versions are clinical and expansive with a deft audio knife having been applied to the soundscapes, leaving a lot more space around the various sonic elements. Betke’s experience as a mastering engineer is evident throughout these three versions, they are very cleverly mixed with a real depth of audio spectrum.
The first track, “Calling Dub Workers” is a slow building soundscape that breaks into a deceptively monotonous rhythm. It loses the funeral toll bell hook of the original, choosing snatches of piano to introduce the track instead. This gives it a much less sombre feel then the original, although it could hardly be described as light hearted. The bell is in there still, but disguised by making great use of the tail end of the sound and doing away with the distinctive attack part. Bits of guitar make bold entrances dotted around the austere intro, which eventually leads into an understated groove that really only got into my head after a few listens. Now, several listens in, I’m appreciating the subtleties of variation of the beat and intricacies of the slowly developing soundscapes more and more. Not a traditional dub sound in the vein of Prince Fatty, don’t be fooled by the title, but a very clever re-working.
“Echo Hands” has a more dubby feel, with some serious bass frequencies sitting underneath the whirrs, pops and crackles of the glitchy stuff happening in the foreground. It has a slight industrial feel to it, by which I mean you can hear the sound of machines and factories in the relentless ostinato created by the chops and edits. The use of echo plays a large roll in this track, it builds up to create walls of swirling sound only to be cut away swiftly leaving striking spaces in it’s wake. Standard dub version trickery for sure, but there’s something about the context and the use of IDM style glitchy cut-ups that give it a sense of misplacement.
The last track, “The Skull Is Built Into The Version” is a bass heavy monster built around some dusty piano notes. It’s pretty minimal, but is very clever in its construction, with things creeping in and elements morphing slowly; and always the depth of sound that comes from the mastering engineers ear.
This EP requires a certain state of mind to be appreciated maybe. I found decent headphones whilst walking did the trick for me. Not those little white ear buds that are so prevalent, but proper ones that can do justice to the frequency spectrum employed by Betke. It took a few listens to really get it, but I’m so glad I put the effort in.
In Dubs is available on Leaf. [Release page]
