Innamind Recordings have been pushing the weird and wonderful of the scene for a while now, and have become a staple of any modern 140 DJs record collection. When I think of the producers who pioneer this dark, percussive and atmospheric sound, my mind immediately leans towards producers on Innamind’s roster, whether it be Gantz, LAS or Epoch. Having already released two records on the IMX series, included the highly sought after Attraction Dub/No Dread, Epoch presents this aural interpretation of a disasterscape, with three tracks we’ve been waiting a while for.
As we’re all painfully aware, we’re slowly but surely hurtling towards WW3 with Trump’s man child hands hovering over the button, and Epoch has soundtracked our inevitable demise in the first track “V1”. Taking inspiration from the sound of V1 missiles used in WW2, he crafts a soundscape that echoes the falling of bombs. Air raid sirens set the scene as the roar of the liquid fuelled pulse jet missile flies overhead, slowly morphing into a crashing saw which flies at 360mph through the track.
The percussion in the second track, “Roacher”, scuttles like the insects that are left behind after the bombs have fallen. It’s a satisfying blend of the new and old school, with Midnight-like “womps” careering through the beat alongside the percussion which scratches and scrapes the peripheries. Epoch shows his hip-hip tendencies here with snippets of ODB punctuating the infectious beat.
The much anticipated “Ribcage pt.II” continues to play on hip-hop influences with Bounty Killer’s opening lines from Deadly Zone booming from the start. The opening throws you off as it unfolds before your hears. His voice bounces off plucked, sprung notes, interrupted by a reggae refrain and then plunged into the dangerous sounding bass line which dominates the track. This beat doesn’t get any better than the second drop, when Epoch hits you with another dose of bass and Bounty Killer, a tough combination if ever I’ve heard one.
This EP is another in a long line of releases from this label that does not disappoint. Each track is as rugged as the last, but they’ve also been produced meticulously down to the last detail, where each element plays an important role in the construction of the sound. A release that undeniably intrigues throughout.
IMRV022 is out now and available from Unearthed Sounds, Redeye, White Peach, Juno, Boomkat, Beatport and Intense Records.
