Below some of those ashen elements lies warmth, subtle movements and shifts that elevate this inaugural 12” on KOOAAD into something more.
I’ve been covering Joe Drive since the beginning of his career. With releases on Jamal Moss’ Mathematics, 4Lux and Lux Rec, Mr Drive has been exploring the divide between house and techno, arctic winds meeting warmer tones.
“Anamorphic Age” sees the Italian artist flirt with the electro. A cold, spiking snare pierces the track. Toms mumble and stumble, a lonely melody stalking almost lost samples. The aquatic currents that flowed through past EPs are again on show, as are the influences of Detroit. “Behind The Screen” has both, brooding analogue murkiness with rigid rhythms. “Cinemascope” maintains the mood. Terse claps form the basis for a thick basslines, sinister computer chords bulging behind the blackness. Perhaps the grimmest of all is saved for the end. “Mesmerization” channels haunting bars into skeletal notes around a stark beat. But as the track develops a definite, yet cold, optimism takes hold.
To go for the dreaded comparison, Anamorphic Age is closest in style to Buried Truth. Both venture into the murkier realms of machine music, using dancefloor percussion to deliver evil-eyed electronics. But below some of those ashen elements lies warmth, subtle movements and shifts that elevate this inaugural 12” on KOOAAD into something more.
Anamorphic Age is available on Kooaad Muzik.
