South London Ordnance‘s tracks have always contained the best of both worlds. Artistic integrity coupled with dance floor value is a powerful combination, and over the last year this young producer has managed to stay consistent to both. His sound has notably been shaped by the UK’s bass-centric electronic music scene, but, crucially, isn’t tied to it. Instead, more traditional, uplifting 4/4 territory has been explored, giving this gilded techno a very interesting bite that has the potential to satisfy a wide range of aficionados. Hotflush, therefore, seems like a snug fit for this latest release – Revolver/Transmission Funk.
Despite the apocalyptic, end-of-times roar that emerges out of the depths, ‘Revolver’ is pretty light on its feet. It seems like a natural successor to ‘Trojan’; Haunting synth-work and smart, clean percussion contrasted with deeper, more ominous concepts. Sonically-speaking, Revolver is beautifully constructed, and manages to feel both mechanical and organic simultaneously – the uplifting, calming influence of the synth tying things together succinctly. There’s definitely a case to be made for Revolver being the most accomplished track of SLO’s catalogue yet.
Transmission Funk, meanwhile, continues exploring the sprawled, haunted nature of the A Side. It contains the same wonderful sonic qualities of it’s predecessor, but just doesn’t have the same effectiveness. This is partly due to it’s length and partly due to the focus on a sparkling synth motif as it’s centre-piece – something that causes it to meander and lose momentum rapidly. That this happens repeatedly over the course of the track means it can never really build enough steam to make a deep, lasting impression the same way Revolver does.