One could argue that dubstep traditionally thrives on massiveness: those seemingly infinite bass lines wobbling up from the deep like tsunamis, those scythe-like snares ripping the fabric of the track at each half-step. But in the years since Skull Disco cut its singular path out of wamp-wamp-stomp, producers have become far more willing to manipulate eardrums on a much finer scale. The world’s subwoofers may continue to suffer abuse, but their previously bored tweeter brothers and sisters have found their work on weekend evenings getting a bit more technical. Kevin McAuley, the young Leeds-based producer, DJ, and Hessle Audio co-founder better known as Pangaea, comes from this school of bass music thought, and his soul-soaked singles for Hessle Audio, Hotflush, and — perhaps most memorably — his as-of-this-writing one-off Memories white label have tweezed ecstasy out of a more whispery sound pallet. His burgeoning discography, however, has yet to feature anything as distinctive and defining as what’s on offer over the four sides of his self-titled Hessle Audio doublepack.
hessle audio
Untold, I Can’t Stop This Feeling
June 23, 2009 – 11:30 PM
Untold, aka producer Jack Dunning, released his first record a little over a year ago on Hessle Audio (the fabulous “Kingdom”), and soon after started Hemlock Recordings, specializing in his own brand of experimental dupstep. Now he’s back for more on Ramadanman and Pangaea’s label with “I Can’t Stop This Feeling,” pushing his sound, and indeed the sound known as dubstep, further into uncharted waters. That Untold’s music sounds unlike most of his peers is a given, but on “I Can’t Stop This Feeling” he manages to surprise even those who’ve followed his releases, turning in two absolutely mad tunes bursting at the seams with creativity.