The Dissolve – Boxcutter (Planet Mu)
There is a small number of artists whose release dates I genuinely anticipate. Barry Lynn (aka Boxcutter) is one of those artists. He first came to my attention in 07′ when dubstep was starting to take off here.
When I heard he was Irish and incidentally we were running a clubnight showcasing mostly Irish producers, a little birdy whispered ‘Get him the fuck down’ in my ear. So we did, and it was a pleasure, and he played a set that was breath of fresh air.
His music is a style-orgy of various different influences, with previous albums revolving mostly around sub bass frequencies. The Dissolve sees him move further away from dubstep to explore some new territories. The title refers to a process in film involving the gradual transition from one image to another.
The guise of a trapped funk soul has been fairly apparent on the previous two albums, and this time it really gets a chance to dance around the place. The first half has a very live feel to it. Great orchestration over slick funky basslines suck the listener back to the disco era of dancing on tables and throwing your clothes around like a lunatic. (Way before my time, unfortunately)
Barry includes the vocal talents of Brian Greene to make some top notch soulful songs that really enhance the colourful atmosphere of the album. ‘TV Troubles’ and ‘Cold War (vs Ken & Ryu)’ are the prominent tracks on the earlier half; both providing the listener with some cinematic sounds and production techniques.
The title track creates a lush washout and then the album kicks off again with some 2-step, UK funky and even juke-influenced tracks. ‘Allele’ stands out by having a seriously good groove to it and kicks in like a wild beast. A collaborative effort with Kab Driver gives us a great take on Kab’s ‘Little Smoke’ track.
It’s tough to decide whether this is his most accomplished release to date, but that can only be a good thing in the preliminary stages of listening. If you’re already a Boxcutter fan then this certainly wont disappoint, but it may take you a few listens.
If you haven’t checked him out yet then you’re in for a serious treat. This is an excellent album that should be in the collection of a vast array of music fan. Oh, and it was made by Barry from up the road. Get it while it’s hot!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I_o5-qu-dA
