Oxford/London/Leeds based newcomer Graphics is responsible for the first release on the long gestated Granholme label. Brian Eno was once quoted as >not wanting to contribute to the glut of CDs< in the world. Granholmes ambitions as a label are modest, but if we can do anything to detract from the glut of painfully beige electronic music available in 2011 then that will be considered a small victory.
The title track crossed our path in February of this year and was the catalyst for finally making the label a reality. It’s blend of intricate percussion, pounding kicks and swamp voodoo atmospherics are bound together by a relentless forward momentum rarely heard. Were we not embarrassed by such brazen hype building we’d say it fuses classic techno to the jungle derived energy of early Big Apple releases. Shit, it’s happened again. ‘Name This’ reigns in the most unhinged flailing of it’s predecessor and revels in a focussed chain gang swing. Heavy on Dub’ish atmospherics and sweeping chords it’s a more discrete animal than it’s other half with methodically intensified tension threatening to swallow the arrangement whole. Exclusive to the digital version is ‘D-Transition’. A listless voice unsuccessfully self interrogates as decaying minor chords mount a further assault on the listeners good humour. As things threaten to get overly oppressive a heavily dampened 4/4 kick leads into a rhythm section that gradually comes to the boil before locking into a series of percussion and bass led drops. Finally we have the Zoltan remix of D-Transition. Due to be used as a promotional tool in 1 the weeks leading up to release, it takes the original and adds some hefty drum programming along with a gloriously queasy new melody for the 4am push towards daylight.