|
Female
"Angel Plague" is album number two from Female (Peter Sutton) for Birmingham's solid Downward imprint. The followup to the "Into The Exotic" full length of 1998, label co-founder Sutton here delves deeper into exploring the power of percussion. Just as this album's track total is cut to the minimum (7 tracks over 4 sides on the doublepack vinyl), the music itself is pared to the bare basics. Put simply, this is some kind of voodoo funk; while a couple of cuts have a steady four on the floor kick, the majority of the pieces are driven by a bouncing bassdrum and a whirling dervish of layered percussion. Deftly layered rhythms are the main element of this release, and Sutton weaves the mix with mastery. Nothing too much, nothing too little, just the right amount of powerful rhythmic juggling and subtle shading in the midsection, balanced with a variety of moods and tempos. While far too many are cranking out lifeless looptracks without any sense of direction, "Angel Plague" shows Female again crafting techno with a purpose that is bound to be worked with passion on turntables with taste. Up next is Diversion Group, a collaboration with Karl "Regis" O'Connor. --Andrew Duke Back to album reviews index |
