This is an overall consistent and fun LP, one that does not rely on any quirks to be appealing; what Old Haunts can really rely on are its intense grooves, so much so that they’re both the backbone and in the forefront of these tracks.
A never-ending rhythmic assault
This Aroma Nice LP is a great example of all thriller no filler. In not even forty minutes and just six cuts, the album displays a surprising amount of variety, making each of its six tracks stand out from one another; with that, the album also never tones down intensity, as each and every minute is spent swarming you with dizzying breaks.
If that may make you skeptical in regards to the record’s appeal, as you may think that every groove needs to be amazing to have an album that consists mostly of them, worry not, because every groove on here is indeed great; this is a big point of strength for this record of course, given that it’s a never-ending rhythmic assault.
Each beat also differentiates itself slightly, with some featuring some harsher metallic textures like in “An Ode to No One,” while others sneak in acid squelches, like in “15 Thousand Nutters.” A characteristic trait of these beats is extended stutters; while that’s obviously not an anomaly for breakcore, Arome Nice sometimes makes these stutters repeat numerous times in a row, occupying multiple bars and creating a snappy break that is the equivalent of repeatedly being punched in the face—though by the fastest boxer you could think of. I really adore these intense spasms, and it’s especially satisfying how some of these tracks make those a reoccurring motif, bringing back this series of explosive accents out of nowhere to stun you.
The opener “Containr” is one of the more tame cuts on the album, as it doesn’t have any particularly intense moments nor does it feature some heavy kicks or sub-bass like other tracks here. That allows it to be a proper opener, not one that full on blasts maximum intensity right off the bat. Some nice full stops happen occasionally, but by the time you may have ceased bobbing your head because of them, the track’s already caught back and has started layering some more breaks. There’s two actual moments of calm here, which feature some rather sharp noise on top of monstrous kicks, though again not even these parts are properly heavy, as they lack percussion; they are some resets that allow the track to spring back up with full energy with its intense breaks, a trick Aroma Nice utilizes various times on the LP to always keep these grooves intense.
Effectively incapable of shifting away from its lead groove ::
The following tune is an actual banger instead. The snares in “BMW With Blacked Out Windows and 2 Subs in the Back Blasting Michael Bolton” are super snappy, every accent on this track bursts through effortlessly, they sound amazing; the kicks are also really heavy, creating a contrast with the breaks, one that is very much intense. I especially love the repeated “yeah” vocal sample in this tune too, it’s rather fun and it’s so short that it does not take away from the star of the show, which is the beat. This groove is so good in fact that the tune revolves around it for its entire 7+ minutes of runtime, and it never gets tiring; there are some glitchy portions, some new vocal samples thrown in, but the track is effectively incapable of shifting away from its lead groove, which remains the same save for a variation in the middle of the track.
My other favorite track is “An Ode to No One,” for very similar reasons: heavy kicks, which are frantically spammed, super bright snare accents and a great groove. However, it stands out thanks to its use of ambience, which “Moan” also features, though in a much more mellow fashion; here, the synthesizers are really dark, creating an almost oppressing atmosphere that makes the track’s percussion even heftier. This atmosphere bursts in the second half, to which you’re lead after a really smooth transition: the gloomy pads disappear and leave space for some lighter and more open ones, alongside some colorful chopped vocal samples and a breezy piano, giving this second half of the tune a completely different feel; it doesn’t take long for its dark side to come back though, wrapping up the piece the way it began.
The only tune that may leave me slightly unsatisfied is “Animosity Funk,” though not because it’s a limp track, rather due to its extended outro featuring a spoken word bit that is not that interesting. Grooves are still solid, as they are in “15 Thousand Nutters,” which sticks out thanks to its fun shouty vocal sample that act as a hype man for the song, and in “Moan,” the other more atmospheric piece that still goes rather hard.
This is an overall consistent and fun LP, one that does not rely on any quirks to be appealing; what Old Haunts can really rely on are its intense grooves, so much so that they’re both the backbone and in the forefront of these tracks. The album rarely reaches some truly spectacular moments, but that’s also what helps it be so thoroughly enjoyable, as it keeps itself tight from beginning to end.
Old Haunts is available on YUKU. [Bandcamp]
