Throughout, Pringle’s love of classic Rephlex electronics is plain to hear. But, this isn’t pastiche. What The Jaffa Kid does is reimagine those wonderfully rough and refined sounds and breathes new life and energy into them.
A real talent for creating captivating rhythms
Daniel Pringle (aka The Jaffa Kid) is gaining deserved attention and finding his wonderful music etched into wax. For years his output was digital and self released. His brand of 90s acid tweaked broken braindance, though he can turn his hand to almost anything, is turning ears with his music finding favor with a number of labels of late, Cold Blow being one of them.
Five tracks make up the eponymous EP. You’d be forgiven for checking your turntable speeds when the needle hits “Itled,” that nose bleed racing pace is the right rpm. Frantic, beneath the kicks and jittery percussion belies a smooth melodic stream. The beats continue their quickened pace with “Ppatch.” Despite the quick rattling drums, the notes and harmonies explored are dreamy and slow with languid keys adding a nostalgic contrast. Pringle has a real talent for creating captivating rhythms, hooking the listener in with their complexity before gentle layers of sweetened synth are ushered in. This is certainly the case with “Tearing Inside Out,” bruised beats edge into distortion while wisps of melody float on undulations. The tempo is consistently high throughout the record, that pulsating energy used to counter delicate tones. tones. In “Rainbow Eyes” those understated harmonies marry perfectly with the throb and surge of subtle snares and tapered toms. “Krout” is cut from the same cloth, ruffled edges scuffing a soulful center. The styles presented are all of the same canon, yet the alluring distance of the finale is perhaps the outlier. Rhythms are stripped back to metronomic essentials, inviting chords and an overarching elegance pinning the piece within the thin line of electronica.
Throughout, Pringle’s love of classic Rephlex electronics is plain to hear. But, this isn’t pastiche. What The Jaffa Kid does is reimagine those wonderfully rough and refined sounds and breathes new life and energy into them. Although the calendar may read 2022, those cutting-edge audio projects initiated some twenty years ago are thriving and being taken in new directions under the masterful touch of The Jaffa Kid.
The Jaffa Kid is available on Cold Blow. [Bandcamp]
