Well, Deasy (a.k.a. Dave Cleary) might come off as a newcomer in the scene of genuine hip-hop/electronic producers, but he’s been at it for quite a while. DJ’ing since ’91 and also running seminal Dublin clubs as Toast, The Good Drum, and Sound Effects. His debut album on Ireland’s The Fear sheds light on this talented producer who delivers a toned down Machine Drum feel next to instrumental electronic abstracts that soothes and slithers from one side of the spectrum to the other. Appearances on Bassbin, Frontend Synthetics, Road Relish, Independent, Psychonavigation and The Fear should give you enough indication to seek out more from this Dublin based musical-meister. On Music is Not Hygiene, Deasy establishes himself with downbeat funk/hip-hop tied to loose lyrical samplings and muddy basslines that flow consistently throughout the 15 cuts on this album.
Tracks like “Turn on the Mike” delivers a sort of Amon Tobin feel with its lazy drum loop and guitar/piano compliments. “The Closing Door,” however, blends delicate ambiences next to subtle snapping beats while “Stutter Hop” is just that: stuttering reversed rhythms crash into a clean clip-clop percussion while soundtrack ambiences veer off in the distance. “The Roads” is more of an upbeat electro driven affair with its syncopated funk and punchy tweaks leaning more towards digital experimentation. “Meteor Hits Landlord” is perhaps the funkiest tune yet, its guitar loop and laid-back drumming has a Prefuse 73 feel steering left of any electrical noodling; perhaps one of the finest instrumental hip-hop tunes we’ve heard this year (next to Deceptikon’s 12″ EP on Merck Records). “The Green” is a sample-infested, bass-infused 1-minute track that straddles the line between abstract electronics and MBM flavored bass + sampling with a high dose of creativity gone haywire.
There’s a lot to look forward to from this Dublin, Ireland hip-hop producer. Forthcoming releases on Psychonavigation as well as an EP and LP for The Fear are in the works. We’ll be waiting patiently to drop our ears on this upcoming sound invasion from Deasy.
Music is Not Hygiene is OUT NOW on The Fear.
