Noclu - Poseidon/Sirens
Welcoming Kamer to the Juan family with this one for Juan's first exclusive! Juan Reviews this time around focuses on a subby little roller and a weighty steppa for Noclu's release on Duploc at number 24. This is guaranteed to fulfil a decent part of your dubstep cravings on this scorching Monday evening, when played at the necessary volume, very loud.
Cyber steppin’ future cops plunge through hot neon streets, pink robo-pugs barking at their heels. Overhead, ‘Sirens’ stretch into the distance. Out of the oily ocean, ‘Poseidon’ rakes his trident through industrial mulch. Nuclear reactors, powerplants and oil reservoirs suck into his watery wrath, an electrical haze shrouding vengeful tidal ebbs. The artist from Duploc’s inception, Noclu, summons the gods for a third time on the steadily rolling label, rightfully claiming his third portrait on the label roster (each one with its own unique, era-marked style). Following Rygby’s Gaudi-esque mosaic of thwomp-ridden samples collected across Europe in ‘Tym 2 Go Bak’, and Dalek One’s journey into the machine with ‘Tasered’, Noclu drags digi-dub influences through an ocean of static industrial sludge. This single follows the producer’s recent cinematic excursion, Folding Shadows, which marks the first release of Kikuji Records: a six-track journey through snowy soundscapes remarkably distinct from Noclu’s bass-driven cuts. Now homing back in on the dancefloor with Duploc, the producer takes true dub style and filters it through a mako reactor.
While the entire EP is covered in a haze of electricity, its roots come through clearly in the interactions between the bassline and drumbeat. Dub sirens, delayed snare pangs and cheeky fills magnify the lineage even more. Though the thrumming wobbles can feel a little too on-the-grid, the close connection they share with the drums keeps the steppas pace and rhythm even and driven. With cut-off frequencies oscillating all over the spectrum, all that static gives a vibrant, dynamic hi-end. From the hi-hat’s reverb to the synth harmonics, the upper end of the frequency spectrum is always crackling something unique. The releases pouring out of Duploc this year seem able to draw a line directly between ‘deep’ and ‘heavy’. Whilst Dalek One’s ‘Tasered’ EP (DUPLOC023) was bi-polar, one track being explosive and the other sub-oriented, Noclu’s vibe walks a much straighter, carefully balanced line between the two in both tracks. It’s a fun throwback to a large portion of dubstep’s heritage.
Juan Exclusive first listen - Noclu - Sirens
Out today to preorder and stream on Beatport and Spotify! Available in all stores on the 25th June.
Bandcamp - https://duploc.bandcamp.com/album/duploc024-noclu
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/user/duploc/playlist/6cR6L684uW9d7bk4eW1wag