[Skudge Presents]

If you’ve been following Adam Rivet’s career, then his list of current crushes (Levon Vincent, Kassem Mosse) shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. To date, the masked producer has dropped just three records: two on Frozen Border’s sub-label, Naked Index, and one on Kontra-Musik. Yet somehow, describing his career as “short” doesn’t seem appropriate. A better label would be “succinct.” Though he appears to us only as a masked, anonymous face, Rivet’s tracks have proved a more intimate window to his personality than a picture or name ever could. Confident and tough, his music still manages to brim with emotion and individuality, just like Vincent’s and Mosse’s. Thankfully, with his first record for Skudge Presents, he shows these attributes remain alive and well.

Individuality, in particular, is a word that seems applicable to Grifter/Sundry. On the A-side, there’s a rugged warehouse beatdown, but it lacks the intimidating stance so many producers have decided is a necessity these past few years. In fact, it’s actually kind of funky. A buzzing synth darts back and forth in the mid-range, delivering a friendly kind of punch. Even more interesting is the drum and bass which lurks in the breakdown. It’s faint; just a cartwheeling snare pattern that Rivet himself may have failed to notice the heritage of, but it spices things up considerably. On the flip, we’re once again exposed to his tender side via “Sundry,” one of those annoyingly label-resistant “post-dubstep” amalgams. Like Objekt’s work, it shunts along with an off-kilter, bass-y rhythm, but makes room for steely, techno-like textures along the way. Oh, and moments of haunting introspection. Clearly, Rivet has little interest in sticking to convention, and his music is all the better for it.