Review: Killawatt – Mystic Vocation / Centipede Effect [OSMUK018]

Killawatt shot up the ranks last year with an impressive arsenal of tribal sounds sending steppers around the world into an indigenous dance. Not only were his dubplates rapidly sort after by leading imprints, he’s now found himself among the Osiris family, alongside Biome, Kaiju, Matt-U and of course label head, Kryptic Minds. With Si Shreeve and Brett Bigden acknowledging his astute work ethic and technical approach to production, Matt’s dedication for the past year has paid off.

“Mystic Vocation” carries the minimal sound into the Subterranean depths of the ancient Amazonian for six & half minutes of sacrificial dance. Opening with marching bongos and barbaric war horns, the track plumets into a hypnotic trance of intricate percussion and techno infused synths and atmospherics. Lip vibrations compose the Aztec horns layered in the background before the tempo switches to swift bass stamps upholding momentum and energy before the breakdown.

Mystic Vocation’s tech-hybrid reflection is found on the flip with “Centipede Effect”. Murky atmospherics combined with light cymbal hits encapsulate the mood before the familiar line, “Your appearance now is what we call residual self image. It is the mental projection of your digital self”. Dark and sinister, Centipede secretes an eerie melody over a rhythmic drum pattern whilst cocooned by a solid bass structure.

This 12″ single is by far my favourite Killawatt release to date, but more interestingly, a bold signing by Si and Brett to steer the label in a slightly different direction keeping the catalogue fresh yet maintaining the philosophy of Osiris intact.

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OSMUK018 is available from Juno Download.

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