Album Reviews |

2562

Related Artists - Aphex Twin, Ladyhawke, Autechre
Related Genres - Electronica

Fever 7 ( 2011 )
Winamp Melodrama / Cheater / Juxtapose / Aquatic Family Affair / Intermission / Flavour Park Jam / This Is Hardcore / Brasil Deadwalker / Final Frenzy / Wasteland / Fever Vertigo / Little Secret / Lem Em In / Monkey And The Slippers / Dance Of The Old Man Of Storr

2562, aka Berlin based Dutchman Dave Huismans limited himself to only using samples taken from 70s and 80s disco records for this, his 3rd LP. I admire him instantly for that because firstly you can't really tell and secondly, as a creative excersize, it's worked for him. With no limitations or only the limitations imposed on you by either the latest hardware or software and with virutally unlimited samples to choose from, I imagine it's very easy for the average DJ/Producer to lose creative focus. That's not a problem here. Where does 'Fever' take dub-step forwards? Well, we're still waiting to find an answer to that, it doesn't appear to be a scene that wants to be heard so much as enjoyed and admired by those that do find their way towards it. People are making albums as well as your average style compilations. How soon before someone claims they love dub-step to appear cool when in reality all they have to go by is the equivalent to 'Now That's What I Call Dubstep' - answer, it's already happening. Yet, quality albums do appear by artists dedicated but not restrained by the genre and Huismans seems to be one such fellow. My better-half's reaction to opening track 'Winamp Melodrama', 'What on earth is that?!?' is a recommendation for those seeking genuine alternative music.

The five minute long 'Juxtapose' is the first highlight, a spooky set of deep bass sounds and hypnotic soothing noise that manages to be far more than background music. It seems so of itself that it sits on top of you, enveloping not only your hears but your entire head. The body arrives next with the danceable (if you have seven legs and three arms) techno of 'Aquatic Family Affair', another track that revels in warm and deep bass sounds among the more uptempo beats the rest of the track offers. 'Intermission' is, more or less, straightforward techno albeit impressive in construction. 'This Is Hardcore' has danceable beats aplenty, half a handclap reverberating throughout and funky bass. Actually, it's nothing at all like dubstep and that's possibly the future of Dubstep, a splintering into factions which end up with little in common to each other? The closing six minute title track is anything but the sound of fever, unless some kind of disease which causes hallucinations? Ah, that's it! The album is nothing like Disco but using those old records creates a vibrant and varied yet still cohesive album that's 56 minutes of the other side of 'something'. We all need that from time to time.

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