It’s always exciting to be able to introduce new names to the blog, especially when they’re producing music that’s almost bang on my current taste in dubstep/140. And today, I’m able to do just that! Instigate Recordings have made a habit of pushing new talent over the last couple of years and for their next instalment, they welcome fresh blood, Barrett. Yet another talent to emerge out of Denver, the mysterious producer only has the one record to his name previously on Silent Motion Records (SMD030), but you wouldn’t have thought so after listening to this latest project, ‘Beneath Us‘ EP. A project that features four compelling, fairly experimental tracks with enough texture to scramble your brain. Today I have the honour of premiering the EP’s opener, ‘Syringe’, the most vibrant track on the record before Barrett dives into muddier waters.
‘Syringe’ opens with rough yet energetic low end movements, a consistent theme throughout the record. However injections of vibrant ‘bleep blooping’ arpeggios create some of the brightest moments on the record, albeit rather supernatural and ominous. But any room for luminosity is taken away as the EP’s title track ‘Beneath Us‘ allows Barrett to really get down to business. A foggy concoction of dirty lows, a haunting riff and gnarly textures makes for a thoroughly encapsulating dive into Barrett‘s murky side of productions. Productions of this style can sometimes feel a bit overly sparse but Barrett has made sure to produce a fully dynamic track with rich atmospheres and unnerving, spectral vibes. Even if it’s just the finely tuned crackles that fill the space at times, it makes all the difference. The eerie atmospheres continue into ‘MK15‘, however this rattles through with more belligerency, finding yourself enduring the most intensely pulsating bass-line you’ll hear for a while. While the fierce low end takes centre stage, the murky textures and unique percs are still there to appreciate, creating a wonderfully thick, swampy environment. And what better way to finish than with a collaboration featuring the master of gloom himself, Pharma? ‘Bloodclat’ offers all the moody ambience you’d expect if these two were to combine. Dark and creepy with an industrial feel coming from the high frequency shrills, proper horror movie vibes on this one. One that captures and summarises the essence of this superb EP.
Where I unfortunately slept on his previous record on Silent Motion (I have certainly made up for it since), ‘Beneath Us‘ EP emanates a feeling of Barrett’s productions forming into a well rounded, polished sound where his creative direction is evident. Not even halfway through 2020 and I wouldn’t be surprised if this remains as one of my favourite EPs of the year. Although Instigate Recordings have consistently put out great releases in the past, more recently from the likes of Tinky and Pharma himself, INSTi024 may well be their best project yet. An EP that must be enjoyed in full and repeatedly.
INSTi024 is out this Friday (24th April) and available to download here.
Check out Barrett on Soundcloud and Twitter.
Check out Instigate Recordings on Soundcloud and Twitter.