[Numbers]

The last year or so has seen many dance music producers looking back at the sounds native to the 1980’s. Previous attempts to capture the colorful, plasticine veneer of that decade seemed to focus on replicating it for nostalgia’s sake instead of recognizing what made that sound popular in the first place. The high frequency synths sounded fresh and exciting in the aftermath of big arena rock riffs and ear-piercing ballads. 2010 has seen many artists and labels melding the tweaked keyboards and artificial drums with a more modern sensibility. The popularity of the Night Slugs camp, the Glasgow contingent and hip-hop throwbacks all across the radio have proven this. Emerging out of the triumvirate of Wireblock, Stuffrecords, and Dress 2 Sweat, the Glasgow based Numbers has been steadily feeding the beast of retro-future dance music with artists like Hudson Mohawke, Rustie, SRC, Kavsrave, and now Taz (previously known as Taz Buckfaster) with the Gold Tooth Grin EP.

“Gold Tooth Grin” is one of those tracks that has been kicking around in mixes and podcasts for at least a year, a highly anticipated slice of post-dubstep soul. There is a manufactured IDM quality to the drums, even though they roll and skitter like a Timbaland classic, perhaps revealing an inspiration for this track’s looping boom-bap. Even though the song has little in the way of progression, the main melody is so catchy it instantly sticks in the ear and takes root. On it’s own it doesn’t quite have the same impact it does in a mix where it has a chance to stand out. It’s laid back style belies the intensity of the EP’s other two tracks. Middle track “Robogrime” is an ultra-tweaked number, its LFO dial twisted and turned with such ferocity it sounds like rapid-fire lasers doing battle. This track and closer “Strike First” have the same kind of triple time programming as “Gold Tooth Grin” but exhibit a more in-your-face assault on the knobs. Where the title track’s synthetic melodies created a friendly, retro-pop sound, the other two tracks seem more aimed at grime-leaning wobble hybrids. Whether or not this is Taz’s intended route, the producer clearly has a razor-sharp talent on the boards with an ear for melody and sub-rattling beats.