Arcanoid is definitely a highlight for 2018, its breaks, bass, 808s, and hatch-hop blend of graffiti electro is a welcomed addition to the digital library.
A heavy-hitting recording that deserves some recognition, Hatch (aka London’s Eugene Rowlett) could have easily been pulled for a Gescom or Fear Ratio collaboration where large sandblasted electro rhythms smash against acid, funk, hip-hop, and ultra wide basslines. Eleven tracks spread across old-school breaks and low-end vibrations, Hatch manifests the grit, debris, and robust machine rhythms from start to end. A stream of melodic slivers glide through each piece as thick drums punch through at every angle. Some tracks are faster-paced electro shards such as the aptly titled and powerful “Hatch-Hop” which could easily be its own genre—massive kick-drums, heavy bass thuds, and a menacing groove. “Dopple” drenches the above-mentioned styles into the shadows with a darker surrounding strain. “Extroliated” maneuvers its acid line through snappy percussive rhythms that mid-90s Plastikman fans would have eaten up. Slowing the production to a walking pace, “Block” drives through downtempo corridors where ambient sheets and wind instruments float to the surface while heavyweight drums take center-stage. There are a few samples strewn in here and there as noted on the excellent “We Can Make It”—where wide-angled percussive jolts bust through the acidic undercurrent. Arcanoid is definitely a highlight for 2018, its breaks, bass, 808s, and hatch-hop blend of graffiti electro is a welcomed addition to the digital library.
Arcanoid is available on Section 27.
