From Rarefied to Subaltern to Crucial Recordings, Italian collective DPRTNDRP has featured on pretty much all of my favourite record labels over the years, each time contributing absolutely ludicrous, ground-breaking material with sheer weight and power. So I think it’s safe to point out that these guys are definitely in the conversation for some of my favourite producer(s) of all time within the world of 140. And this week the crew add to their stacked multi-label catalogue with a monster debut on Infernal Sounds (IFS018). The Manchester based imprint continues to up its game as each release passes, bringing an even more notorious name to the label each time. Following releases from Sepia, Bukkha and J:Kenzo, DPTRNDRP makes sure to put out some of the heaviest, most innovative music that IFS has had the pleasure of releasing so far.
Opening with the long awaited ‘What Ya Mean‘, DPRTNDRP display their essential teeth grinding sub-bass, alongside a distinct siren-like lead that manically descends in rapid-fire loops. It serves as a perfect representation of DPRTNDRP‘s zany forward-thinking sound. As with any of their tunes, the second track ‘Faya Blazin‘ also has enough low end movement to force you to clutch onto your chair for stability. The rhythm is neckbreakingly bouncy and the fire is certainly blazin’ in regards to sample selection and treatment. And then comes along the EP’s collaborative track ‘Ambush‘, a dream team pairing with Bristol duo DE-TU. DE-TU, who themselves are sitting on some unbelievable material, essentially reinforces DPRTNDRP‘s drum bursting pressure with their own flavour of system testing weight, accompanied by colourful plucks and crystal clear percs. An absolutely larger than life tune, Godzilla levels of magnitude. Just to make sure you’ve been completely fulfilled by DPRTNDRP‘s latest breathtaking constructions, the final track ‘Trasher‘ is another mind-blower. The dizzying bass-line riffs rattle like an irritated locust and the snare is so sharp you can almost reach out and feel the sting. The record simply does not let up right until the last second.
What more can I say? Without sounding hyperbolic, this EP is so big it’s hard to put concisely into words. It’ll come as no surprise that this is and probably will remain as one of my favourites of this year. DPRTNDRP lay themselves bare on this record, no punches pulled, just pure rough ‘n ready bass driven music with wacky, unique textures and sizzling energy. The surprise collab with DE-TU is simply a bonus, but a bonus that will be in rotation for months to come.
IFS018 is out this Friday (7th February) and available on vinyl from the Infernal Sound store.
Check out DPRTNDRP on Soundcloud.
Check out Infernal Sounds on Soundcloud and Twitter.