Subtle Audio, Vol. II

流派：Electronic 电子
语种：英语
发行时间：2011-01-24
类型：录音室专辑

简介

IDJ Magazine - review by Ewen Cook Two years in the curating, Ireland’s most forward-thinking d&b label Subtle Audio unveils another simply bumper 3xCD package of experimental, fashion-trashing excellence (with an exclusive five-track vinyl accompaniment also available, just for good measure) that is certain to delight trenchant supporters of the label such as Aphex Twin and Mary Anne Hobbs. Naibu’s ‘Nightscape’ alone – a mesmerising cornucopia of electronica, breakbeat minimalism and moody brass interruptions – is worth it, with leftfield d&b faces established and new serving up anything from old-skool amens to warping atmospherica. Label boss Code takes the reins on CD3, weaving together an exemplary mix of past, present and future material. Future-facing gold – and heaps of it. 9/10 Resident Advisor - review by Ryan Kuo This, the second label compilation on Ireland's thoughtful Subtle Audio, is the quintessential drum & bass DJ's record. The three-disc collection is packed with varied and eminently mixable beats from a cherry-picked roster. Their 2010 vision of drum & bass is comfortingly literate and artcore. But what ultimately makes Subtle Audio Vol. II worthwhile is label head Code's talent for sequencing music. While, at first blush, Vol. II seems to suffer well-known album symptoms—an excess of music, a few downtempo diversions highlighting versatility, a certain self-consciousness—these concerns finally fade away. The tracks on its two unmixed discs are immaculately paced, so much that you can hear a story in the silences between. Vol. I, also on point, was a timid release in comparison. Vol. II is a breezy and expansive listen, and this is surprising given that its emotional palette ranges from quietly optimistic to darkly quiet. Sileni makes a welcome (if beatless) return with his "Random Intro" to the first disc, and Reinforced virtuoso Alpha Omega sounds as effortless as ever on "Impulse," a healthy volley of drums stepping on classic synths. Most of the names that follow are less familiar, and their styles are harder to pin down. After a tribal stomp courtesy of San.Dra follows a track entitled "Taking Seriously" by The Blunt Needles that is borderline Braindance, and you'd be forgiven if you expected three hours of wanton diversity. But then Macc & DSP clear the table with their monstrous "Los Angeles," a locked cabin full of angry drum kits thrashing at the door. Another highlight, "Serpentine" by CJ Weaver and Indidjinous, has the low-end gravitas of a happy (well, happier) Boymerang; and it's deftly flipped on its head by the reverb-drenched snares of Mindmapper's tentative "Staccato." There's a journey made every six minutes, and sometimes within individual tracks—for instance, in how Earl Grey's "Hazel Grove" shifts from Autonomic-style restraint to lush, junglist drum interplay in the blink of an eye. (To say nothing of Nic TVG's wild electroacoustic songs, jazz via laptop.) The second, fiercer disc has Dissident's submerged, Offshore-style synthetics giving way to Sileni's long-unreleased squirmer "Real Horrorshow"; Enjoy's nearly-prog techstepper "The Crook" balanced with CJ Weaver's writhing and minimal "6,000 Degrees"; retro Apache breaks moving to Motor City soul as Earl Grey hands it off to Nubian Minds. And though there are few of the monumental moments of drum & bass in its heyday—the contemporary wobble and hiss of Sub's "Katana" being a great exception—there is also little of its stern over-determination, its paralyzing lust for genius and perfection. Subtle Audio here betrays a stargazing outlook, turned outward rather than inward. It lets drum & bass feel somehow, of all things, playful. Code's back-catalogue mix on the third disc ebbs and flows like water. His percussive showcase reveals another side to Subtle that the painstakingly sequenced Vol. I mix missed. There's a real exuberance to be found in drumfunk, choppage, leftfield drum & bass, and otherwise jungle in the 2000s. It's a secret best expressed by a DJ. Code's optimism might be rare, but it's also contagious. 4/5 Mixmag - D&B Album of the month, January 2011, review by Peter Rogers There are some labels in d’n’b that are big, featuring big artists, and a big fan base. But elsewhere, outside of the mainstream there are labels like Subtle Audio, who despite showcasing the more experimental strains of the music, contribute so much to making drum ‘n’ bass such a rich and varying genre. The Irish label has been running for over 5 years now, and in these testing times for even the biggest of imprints, you have to give boss man DJ Code props. This new compilation showcases everything they’re about, with the main focus on heavy, syncopated drum edits and chops (Macc & DSP’s ‘Los Angeles’), but also touching on atmospheric ethnic floaters (San Dra ‘Retreat’), and wonky, glitchy synth experimentalism (Kontext ‘Thaw’). The flavours are mixed, but they all add up to a cracking compilation with a distinctly desolate and wintery feel. 4/5

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