The downside for this enterprising self releaser is that there is such a spread of similar sounds out there already. Then again, Abdulla Rashim could be a well known artist under yet another pseudonym; you never know.
It’s difficult to know whether the self releasing artist is a fool hardy pipe dreamer or a brave visionary. The net is saturated in artists promoting digital releases and downloads, but it seems to stand out from the electronic crowd you’ve got to go vinyl. It is a pretty brave thing to do it alone and release your own music. It’s a costly endeavour, but one that could potentially pay dividends. One artist who has decided to take this great leap in the dark is Abdulla Rashim with his own imprint Abdulla Rashim Records.
To get the ball rolling, Rashim has released Gizaw, a three tracker of deep techno. The opener “Gizaw 1” is a slow building piece of minimalism. The track has echoes of the Basic Channel tradition, with its tethered basslines and sharp snares. There is a rawness to the piece that is part and parcel of its simplicity. “Gizaw 2” follows in a similar line, but a new level of coarseness is introduced through harsh distortion and the relentless bass. The track has some serious club connotations, as the bass builds into a pounding beat. There’s something of a Universal Indicator feel to this one,with its primal uncouth appearance or old school charm if you will. “Gizaw 3” leads the 12” out and is the longest piece, running at over thirteen minutes. The track develops in a similar manner to its forerunners, but slower this time. The jagged edges of the predecessors are filleted by Rashim, smoothing them out under deep dubby weights. The track has a pressurised and claustrophobic feel, the beats withheld to create a clogged and tense atmosphere. Quite similar to the likes of Echospace, but with a darker disposition.
It’s a daring step to set up a record label. You’ve got to applaud Abdulla Rashim for having the balls to do it. As minimal techno goes Gizaw is pretty decent stuff, with a few variants on the style displayed. The downside for this enterprising self releaser is that there is such a spread of similar sounds out there already. Then again, Abdulla Rashim could be a well known artist under yet another pseudonym; you never know. Nonetheless, a gutsy, if not familiar, debut for Mr. Rashim.
Gizaw is out now on Abdulla Rashim.
Abdulla Rashim – Gizaw 1 by Abdulla Rashim
