The seventeenth release on experimental Drum & Bass label ‘Inside Recordings’, comes from heavy hitters ‘Quantum Soul’ & ‘Linden‘. Individually credited and influential in different spheres of dance floor culture, the pairing up has produced laudable results.
Quantum Soul dates back to the roots of Dubstep, releasing various permutations of the sound. Leaning mostly towards tribal and meditational productions, he remains fervent on pushing his creative and artistic envelope, notably as a founding member or ‘Ranking Records’ and ‘Cymatic’. Linden has been hitting the Drum & Bass scene hard over the last few years, releasing music on the legendary ‘Renegade Hardware’ label amongst others.
Drawing on the powers of ancient mysticism, ‘Tradition’ has an energetically ominous air about it. Opening with twitchy high passed bongo patterns along and ethereal flutes, suspense is built to an impending drop. Rather than thundering in with obnoxious bass lines and unfiltered ‘Reece’ sound, a careful restraint has been instilled, alluding to an even more powerful impact on the listener. Deep subs and expertly crafted half time rhythms all encompass the aptitude of these producers.
‘Mindstates’ rolls in with incidentals and philosophical vocal hooks that craftily mask the drop, which when actualized, molds impeccable drum programming with cinematic, seismic sub bass. More contemplative and laced with eastern flavor than the A side, it is no less made with the dance floor in mind. Ascending above the generic, this release transcends genre definition with esoteric sensibilities that perfectly demonstrate its creator’s skill-set.