All in all Phlegm serves as a fine introduction to Ruby My Dear’s sound as well as a very worthy addition to his catalog. There’s no filler on here, and anyone interested in glitchy breaks and IDM sensations should definitely check it out.
Analogical Force has been releasing quality EP after quality EP for more than a year now – Igloo readers will remember our mention of the Ubal EP from Mause last month – and it was with great interest that we saw that this hardworking and productive label paired up with hardworking and productive composer Ruby My Dear. RMD has been putting out a steady stream of albums lately, notably his full-length Brame and his collaboration with Igorr Maigre.
On Phlegm (see our Newswire video premiere here), Ruby My Dear provides the listener with a set of five precision-engineered tracks, a testament to the producer’s skill as each piece feels recognizably different, and yet never uniform. All the influences that you have come to expect from RMD are here: dark, gothic piano amid digital screeches, the breakcore-influenced stitching and unstitching of drum patterns, pitched delays, disquieting atmospheres and throaty acid lines. Yet if the two first tracks, “Dédaism” and “Splenetic,” operate on familiar ground, it is the latter half that the EP truly shines, with “Babil,” “Babil Alternate Takes” and “Jit Thin.” This last track is a perfect closer, a tight sail between glassy industrial atmospheres and melodic textures. “Babil” manages to be both one of the shortest pieces on Phlegm and the densest one, as it continually builds up around this lyrical piano motif, then comes crashing down to a compressed and calculated halt, before reorganizing itself into a cold glitch monster. Its alternate take, on the other hand, is almost club-worthy, in an ecstatic Ruby way. The firm rhythmic planting serves the chip arpeggios with taste and drive. One of the best cuts, if not the best on this release.
All in all Phlegm serves as a fine introduction to Ruby My Dear’s sound as well as a very worthy addition to his catalog. There’s no filler on here, and anyone interested in glitchy breaks and IDM sensations should definitely check it out. Another win for Analogical Force.
Phlegm is available on Analogical Force.
