Coming off Borai’s excellent jungle techno “Anybody from London” EP, Bristolian label Hotline Recordings closes out 2015 with Lurka (who destroyed Reconstrvct this past year) for their tenth plate that contains two fine examples of lean drum programming, dancehall inflected sub pressure, and his penchant for humid digital textures at 130bpm and 140bpm.
First up is the languid thump of “Ritual Dingers”. A dancehall chug for the body set to icy, meditative synth splashes like how Kandinsky thought of color. Lurka’s crisp drum editing is on full display, 808’s become liquid mercury as deft splices of some long forgotten funk break are intertwined, but rather than going full bore, Lurka’s careful to not over do it, letting the zen patience of the percussion work its magick much like how his early piece “Holding” operated.
While being touted as an Ishan Sound dub for some time, when I saw him in DC, Ishan played a set of pure steppa dubs so who knows honestly. Either way, “Choke” will have any and all dubsteppers foaming at the mouth as its the first piece of 140 Lurka has crafted to see a release since 2012’s Refresher / Forgotten Ones on the defunct 10” Box Clever series. With offset sub detonations, extended uzi clip hi-hat spray and his highly individualized mid range snarls, “Choke” demands a reload, and loudly.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHZ5NzqQ7kY?rel=0&controls=0&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwK2fHfy-1Y?rel=0&controls=0&w=560&h=315]
HOTLINE010 is available to purchase from Rewind Forward, Unearthed Sounds, Redeye, Boomkat and White Peach.
