(07.24.07) Shad.T Scott has been releasing electronic music since 1995. Over ten years
ago Scott’s love of electronic music culminated with the establishment of
his Isophlux label; an imprint showcasing work from L’usine, Lexaunculpt and
Cenik (aka Funckarma.) It was in 2000 that Scott’s Gosub moniker surfaced,
moving into a more electro realm. In 2005 Gosub found his way to Datathief’s
Device label, then to the Clone sub-label Frustrated Funk. 2006 saw Gosub
further establishing his name on the KONDI imprint. After a host of 12″
releases Gosub comes back with his first release of 2007, his second full
length release: Watchers from the Black Universe. It’s been seven years
since Gosub’s last album, so how has his latest on Citinite faired?
On this outing, Scott has continued down the electro vein. The album opens
with the powerful “Her Machine,” a minimal electro piece of rasping
distorted synths and distant vocals. The track has an edgy, sinister side to
it, echoing the likes of Dopplereffekt. “The Rain Comes Down” unleashes a
torrent of squalid electro sound with shots of space like keys slicing
through crisp beats and befouled chords. Vocals straight from Drexiyan
missions follow on from “Her Machine.”
Gosub sends his machines into space with “Last Night at the Stardust,” but
keeps the space station tethered with minimal electro. Friendly computer
sounds replace the citiscape paranoid tones of the A side. “Laugh Track”
follows down a similar line, but echoes some of the cynicism of the
cyberciti Gosub constructed in the record’s first tracks. Laid back synth
lines floated over tweaks and beats is how Gosub creates “Blind World”
before letting full on electro chords bound in to carve a ghostly undertone
into this piece
Gosub returns to the squalor of earth once more and opens Side C with the
aggressive snippet that is “Short Phase.” “Love like the Past” brings back
the cruel electro cuts, with synthlines being short and severe as twists of
electric tweak slice across and dark vocals fall. “Strange City” bolsters in
with full synth lines are reverberating bombs. A wicked underciti of electro
unfolds as shaves of pressurized 303 tweak convulse whilst lighter tones
work their way around thick bollards of minimal synthesizer sound. A dense
and dark electro work.
Watchers from the Black Universe moves once more into more relaxed
territory, the D Side starting with “Mind Travel Method.” The minimal sound
remains, but the sinister elements are lessened as light and melodic vocals
give a new feel to the track. Yet, the filth and dilapidation are brought
back once again for “In The Wind.” Ultra fetid electro lines hot wire the
track to life before lasers of sound are beamed down. The track is a blend
of light and dark, two sides that have struggled across the album. Gosub
tweaks here and there, playing with the sound, with the space sound of
former tracks appearing once again.
Gosub’s second album is a move from his first. For Watchers from the Black
Universe, Scott has illustrated his total turn to electro music. He has
created an album that is dark, profane and everything the Detroit electro
sound is; but he has almost made some lighter, galactic pieces in the space
disco vein. On these two slabs of wax he has demonstrated his abilities,
creating some damaging dancefloor tracks and some more relaxed electro
numbers. The album is well rounded, clever and an impressive electro work.
Watchers from the Black Universe is out now on Citinite. [Purchase Info]
