Canada’s Forbidden Planet is taking those first strides onto black plastic with some established and new-name talent.
It’s a courageous endeavor to start up a new label. There are a hundred and one different things to consider: the vision, the sound, the artists, the artwork, the distribution… Setting up a vinyl imprint is arguably even more daunting. Nevertheless, there are those foolhardy folk out there living the vinyl dream, and those about to take their first steps towards turntable history. Canada’s Forbidden Planet is taking those first strides onto black plastic with some established and new-name talent.
D’Marc Cantu is one of the founding fathers of Jak, an aggressive form of House pioneered by the likes of Traxx, J.T.C. and of course Larry Heard on his Gherkin label. Cantu’s second album A New World, on M>O>S, granted the US producer greater acclaim alongside a solidification of respect amongst House and Techno zealots. Now Cantu is ready to open his 2013 account and lay down something new for Forbidden Planet. Some Fantasies Are Good is not opened by Cantu but DVS1—the US Techno veteran—and founder of HUSH, delivers a remix of blackened perversion. Breathy vocals are subverted by basslines and a roving potential energy. Sinister through and through. Cantu then arrives next with three brand new pieces. “Shima Testuo” sees the Jakman exploring new sounds. Lighter moments are melted with samples and a heady Techno aspect for an engaging piece of otherworldly introspection. Much of the rawer moments from Cantu have been filleted. The title piece utilities full bodied snares but the melody is a softened and warm work of electronics. Genre boundaries liquefy as 707 rhythmic rolls are paralleled by gentle and easing harmonies. “Voyager” closes. The aggression and claustrophobia that characterizes Jak is barely present on this EP. Instead a lusher retrospective comes to the fore. The drum programming has some of the brutalism of past outings but it is the overarching echoes of early Techno pioneers that are the central ingredient. A superb close that balances abstract with some full floor moments.
The mysterious Breaker 1 2 appears to be a newcomer—the US debutant delivering three choice pieces of solid machine music. “2” is ironically the first outing. 4/4 is the formula. 707 beats pound as clouds of melody drift amongst the bludgeoning. An epic piece of Chicago with memories of G-String circa 1990. A similarly forceful drum pattern introduces “DMT.” But it is this rhythmic structure which allows Breaker 1 2 to fire scaling chords skyward, soaring bars tremulously floating about the constructs of bass and beat. “Estonia” bludgeons to the close. The finale is less involving as its predecessor and begins to fall into the rhythmic routine.
The volume of House coming through the pipes means it can be very hard to sieve the wheat from the chaff. Forbidden Planet have brought two choice records to the fore, two that transcend the lines of Chicago and Detroit. D’Marc Cantu has added new layers to his sound, removing some of the coarse edges for a soothing synthesizer sound. With Breaker 1 2 the lines are further blurred. Arcing grandeur and depth are tied to darkening floor movements. Two quality discs to open with.
For more information about Forbidden Planet, visit soundcloud.com/forbiddenplanetofficial.
