Dust EP is a phenomenal debut, proving that Crewdson will be one to watch in the future. In short, he’s managed to create something that doesn’t really sound like anybody else, which is quite a tall order with the sheer amount of music that is being released nowadays.
Slowfoot Records has never been an imprint guided by ideas of genre, with each of its artists, including Monkey Puzzle Trio, Crackle and Robert Logan, staunchly refusing to be pigeonholed. The label’s latest signing, London-based sonic sculptor and saxophonist Crewdson (Hugh Jones to his mum), is testament to this (lack of) ethos. Moving from his home in the North of England, Jones went to study at the University of London’s prestigious Goldsmiths campus (alongside the currently en vogue UK producer James Blake, as it happens) and the college’s seeming ability to finely hone the creative talents of its students is clearly evident in this debut release.
The first track, “Dust Crawlers,” opens with a lightening-fast flourish of chopped up glitches, almost as if several percussion samples are being scrubbed back and forth at random and Jones’ CPU is struggling to keep pace. These introductory jitters soon find an irregular pattern, though, and form the backdrop to the main beats that arrive after some warmer house-like synth sounds enter the fray. A truly addictive melody is also introduced quite early on and its motif is repeated throughout, balanced nicely with broken 2-step beats that eventually evolve into more of a four-to-the-floor flavour. The soulful vocal samples that come in halfway through intriguingly verge on being twisted out of tune, but never quite manage it, and instead provide a richness similar to Mount Kimbie’s recent work.
Next up comes a remix of unreleased track, “Mime,” with newly signed Ninja Tune artist Grasscut serving up a spectacular jazz-infused electronica workout (audio stream below). Jones’ saxophone playing is used to the full, alongside drum breaks, plinky melodies and a cacophony of hyper-manipulated samples. Vocals again play a part, this time in more of a spoken word style, similar to The Streets’ Mike Skinner, yet subtly pitchshifted to create some terrific harmonies and textures.
“Pet” is probably the most accomplished track offered up on Dust EP. Sounding like a cross between Aphex Twin, Four Tet and Polar Bear, Jones kicks things off by unleashing a barrage of intricately looped percussive sounds from his racks and racks of samplers, before dropping into a tight groove made up of funky drums, a descending vocal hook and a multitude of bleeps, all of which is followed by a swift traversal into a gorgeous modal sax section. It really is quite remarkable how Jones manages to involve so many ideas and still produce a coherent musical narrative.
Blank Tapes’ Bass Clef brings up the rear with a more dancefloor-driven remix of another unreleased Crewdson original: “Goodbye Old Friend.” It begins with staccato sax chords, which provide a rhythmical groove for the vast majority of the rest of the track. On top of this, layers of looped beats and a few sparse electro bass stabs are gradually added to great effect, making the track evolve in a predictable yet entirely pleasing way. Comparisons with Warp Record’s Plaid spring to mind with this one.
Dust EP is a phenomenal debut, proving that Crewdson will be one to watch in the future. In short, he’s managed to create something that doesn’t really sound like anybody else, which is quite a tall order with the sheer amount of music that is being released nowadays. It’s not that he’s single-handedly developed a new genre or signaled a new direction in electronic music, but he’s blended so many influences from so many different styles and ended up producing something that is really quite magical. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for Crewdson’s forthcoming debut LP, Gravity, which will be dropping on Slowfoot Records sometime next year.
Dust EP is out now on Slowfoot. [Listen | Purchase]
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