[Wireblock]

Rustie’s rise to (relative) fame in 2008 was swift to say the least. Alongside fellow Glaswegian Hudson Mohawke, Joker, and Zomby, he is one of the leading lights of a not-dubstep style whose name is most frequently given as wonky, although sometimes more creatively as aquacrunk, among other things. Hallmarks of this style are dubstep-ish beats combined with raging synth lines and crossed with influences ranging from laptop folk to trance to hip hop. Forgive me if that sounds a bit complex, but the kitchen sink approach of these producers results in something that’s hard to describe using the conventional language of dance music. Grooves and riffs are often inseparable: the messy confusion of many different rhythmic and melodic elements is one of the mainstays of the style’s appeal.

Rustie’s “Zig-Zag” has been widely hailed as one of the cornerstones of the new dubstep, and received a one side only release on Glasgow’s electro/wonky/what-have-you Wireblock label. Although I haven’t yet had the apparently mind boggling experience of hearing it on a huge system, even through my humble monitors it is readily apparent “Zig-Zag” is built to overwhelm and awe. There are only two simple ingredients: an intricate rhythm that seems to change constantly and a synth line that feels like a synthesizer has just been thrown into the bath with you. At a hair under four minutes, “Zig-Zag” is a brief and bright explosion of sound. It goes for maximum immediate effect, achieves it, and fucks off again just as quickly. If there’s one problem with the electronic wizardry of wonky, it’s that there’s a huge amount of impact, but sometimes little being said. Still, that’s nit-picking. It’s early days for this style; and even if these boys permanently prefer to leave their heartstring-tuggers at home, it’s still a wild ride and a must have for anyone who enjoyse roller coasters, raves, and fun.