"The strength of this EP lies in Dime Bar logic: soft on the outside, crunchy on the inside."
Confession: I don’t like distortion much. However before ‘I Know I Am Pretty‘ had settled into a minor groove this extended player had me rocking like m’nan after too many glasses on holiday, Christmas Day (or any day).
Sure, lead track ‘Gulf Stream‘ bites Joey Beltram’s ‘Energy Flash‘, but Russell E.L. Butler does it in a way that casts that eternal classic in an atmospheric, classy new light: kudos for that.
On the flip, ‘Tree Frog Whistle‘ is more than just an outstanding name. Gnarly bass swells up, intensifies and dies off only to return with a new timbre. Shimmering crystal tones take centre stage & sound so clean in comparison to the tight, burly drum programming.
However the winner has to be ‘Offset In The Shadow‘. With an upped tempo and electro tinged; the screw face tightens, gets danker and contorts. 90 seconds in and the head starts to bump, swing side to side but by the time the bass drops limbs are flailing, someone’s shouting ‘OI OI!’ loudly in the back as trigger fingers parade around heads. Peak time heat tucked away on the B2.. watch out!
To conclude, the strength of this EP lies in Dime Bar logic: soft on the outside, crunchy on the inside. On both sides etherial pads and faded melodies let in just enough light to create a contrast that accentuates the multiple synths’ sawtooth edges while showing it’s not all noughts & ones: there’s soul in these machines’ blinding array of red lights.
Petty EP lands 1st February 2019 as a limited edition press of 300 vinyl copies. Order a copy from Ghostly.
TRACKLIST
1. Gulf Stream
2. I Know I Am Petty
3. Tree Fog Whistle
4. Offset In The Shadow
Discover more about Russell E.L. Butler and Spectral Sound on Inverted Audio.