Sound Colour Vibration (Music | Art | Film | Technology | Science | Culture)

As the seventh release for the experimental electronica label Donky Pitch, ARP 101 and Elliott Yorke’s Fluro Black pairs two producers whose bass heavy and experimental sonic framework merges in perfect form. Pressed on vinyl with the digital release containing an exclusive track not on the vinyl, Fluro Black is full of enough low end to blow out any speaker. With a very futuristic sense of synth work that dominates all aspects of the music, it’s a sound that can be enjoyed on dance floors just as much as it is to vibe to at home on a good system or pair of headphones. The vinyl has the collaborative title track on the first side and begins the second side with another collaborative track of the two, “Polybot”. Ending with the cosmic synth influenced funk track “SLAM” from ARP 101, this 12″ is truly phenomenal and breathes some fresh energy into what’s going on right now.

One of the most stunning aspects to Fluro Black is the mixing and mastering that was achieved. Every drum sequence, bass hit and synth line resonates deep after they fall into the mix with a really warm and full feeling. The 808 bass hits on the first piece “Fluro Black” are as heavy as they come and the layering on top pushes the music into far more extreme areas than most club perfect bottom end pieces represent. With headphones, the music becomes even more alive and you realize how placement of sounds inside the mix is just as important as the bass, drum patterns or melodies.

“Polybot” is really futuristic and has a more saturated sense of synthesizer. After the first main section, some massive synth lines are put down. It’s a solo that shows the technical prowess of the producers involved. Layered into a really dense form by the time the solo’ing subsides, the connecting sections that change in dynamics are incredible. The synth guides everything in place while ripping line after line of mind blowing melodies. You can really feel the musicianship at hand with how the synth is recorded, something that reflects a background and usage of instrumentation and not just programs. It’s this warmth and human voice and juxtaposed essence of futuristic electronica that gives both these tracks a duality in composition and flavor.

ARP 101 ends the vinyl with “SLAM”, a piece that has been a staple of his and serves as a reflection of the modern funk movement he is a part of. The recording is dreamy, rhythmic and melodically glowing from how warm the recording is, shinning with a really beautiful sense of nostalgia to the 80′s and 90′s. The drum kit is pushed to the front of the mix with the entire body of synths. There’s not a beat in the song you don’t feel and the vocal processing adds that final touch to why this is a song only a few could make today. Included with the digital release is the exclusive track “Electric Lemonade”. This is a really solid release to start the fall and will be in tons of sound systems across the globe when it drops. Experimental bass music at its best.

-Erik Otis

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