[2nd Drop Records/Hessle Audio]
That David Kennedy is only 21 years old may come as a surprise to those who’ve seen all the man has achieved. He’s the co-founder of Hessle Audio, a label experimenting all across the dubstep axis while keeping the sound firmly planted on the dance floor. He’s at the top of his game as a DJ with a packed tour schedule and equally packed sets, containing everything from techno to Ludacris. More importantly, he’s a producer whose diverse work defies even his fans predictions for what he might release next. It could be the punishing simplicity of “Blimey,” the sunny, entrancing vibes of “Humber” or his explorations in house with Appleblim. His latest 12″s, “Revenue” for 2nd Drop and “PLSN” for Hessle Audio as Pearson Sound, Kennedy again draws influence from disparate sources while sounding like little else out there.
“Revenue” takes some cues from Skull Disco’s sonic palate; but whereas Skull Disco was known for loose, hypnotic journeys, Kennedy bends all of the jungle-inspired sounds into a tightly wound monster. Dark tribal patterns mix with eerie synth sounds and a heavy low-end for an aural boat ride down the Amazon. Untold shows up on the flip, bringing all of his bells and whistles (literally) along for the ride. Keeping the original synth line, he peppers the track with a healthy dose of dog and bird noises, yelps and whistles. A heavy pant dogs the synth line as the bass staggers around, unsure of whether it wants to hit you over the head or run away. It’s a playful and invigorating continuation of the sounds found on Untold’s recent “Anaconda” and a creative re-imagining of Ramadanman’s original.
Kennedy leaves behind the dark tribalism of “Revenue” for the latest Hessle Audio release under his new Pearson Sound alias. The woodblock pattern in “PLSN” gradually raises its pitch and mingles with reverberating laughs and a deep melange of subterranean bass, radar noises and syncopated kick drums. Laidback organ-like chords (similar to those found in “Justify,” his latest with Appleblim) shine some brightness on “PLSN,” a buoyant contrast to the deep undercurrents. “Wad,” the flip side, has been canned all over the place (perhaps best by Pangaea on his excellent Bunker podcast), and for good reason. Pairing 2-stepping riddims with stuttering, sliced up vocals and scattered bass stabs, spikes the energy with its flurry of dense percussion. “PLSN” is great, but “Wad” is completely essential. Both of Kennedy’s singles stand apart from each other and most everything on the shelves. “Revenue” fills the void in a post-Skull Disco world with a grim and exotic adventure while “PLSN” takes cues equally from house and UK funky for two spirited and upbeat tracks. If Ramadanman isn’t on your watchlist, these two records should propel him right to the top.
