(10.06.04) Benn Jordan has been recording and releasing music under various incarnations since 1994 but releases Red Extensions of Me as his debut for Canadian label Sublight Records. With a quite extensive discography of releases listed on his website, mainly due to his releasing music to local record stores for sale without publicity, Jordan is well-versed in music production, composing recording and producing almost all of the album. Sharing label space with the likes of Venetian Snares and Fanny gives some indication what to expect from Jordan’s work – breakbeats, twisted samples, elements of classic experimental electronic music along with the occasional foray into funk and even some guitar and melodies for good measure. Where Jordan differs from the likes of VSnares is that his music is less abstract whilst maintaining the same fractured sound, if with more structure. He also maintains his sense of humor throughout and never seems to take himself too seriously. Take “If Trees Could Speak” for example which bears more than a passing resemblance to Madonna’s “Don’t Tell Me.”
At first luring you in with some nice piano melodies on “In an Instant” Jordan soon hits you with a noisy barrage of broken breaks and toy guitar riffs with “Lawn Wake I”, then taking “Lawn Wake II” into more experimental electronic direction before finishing the trilogy with the textural breaks of “Lake Wake III”. Keeping up the mellower vibe and adding some funky guitar is “An External Frost” and “Sunset Hamlin” while “Planet TH” takes us on a futuristic space journey. In complete contrast, “Didj Z” is a tense ambient track with guitar and voice instrumentation. Similarly, “Black Lawn Finale” features a backdrop of piano melodies and sweeping ambience under the frantic breaks. As with VSnares, there is a lot more to Jordan’s music than there first seems; below the breaks and fractured noises are piano melodies and sweeping ambient textures showing there is more to his music than just a beat onslaught. Fittingly, Red Extensions of Me closes with a similar piano piece to its start but with the bonus of two excellent sample laden bonus tracks to follow. Red Extensions of Me is an enjoyable album and an interesting take on the breakcore genre that never takes itself too seriously but also has hidden depth.
Red Extensions of Me is out now on Sublight.
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