#dust-e-1

Dust-e-1 - “Hutchin”

Dust-e-1 - “C-Thru”

The newest release on Pacific Rhythm comes from the duo of Dust-e-1 and Priori, otherwise known as ANF, and marks the second time the Vancouver label has collaborated with the Montreal-based NAFF crew (see last year’s incredible Urth Born by Ex-Terrestrial, especially the soaring DnB future jazz of “Everybody Dreams”). Following on from Visions (S.T.T.G), the Mauna Kea EP sees ANF serving up rolling breakbeat magic, loved up four-four stomps, acid bass percolations, ravey house burners, and oceanic downtempo nod outs, with atmospheres flowing from hands-in-the-air radiance to dark nightscape sensuality. And the sound design is incredible, with huge throbbing bass sonics working the mind and body into a state of throwback euphoria while cool cut-up vocal samples, LSD angel choirs, ecstasy melodies, psychedelic color modulations, ethnological hand-drum patterns, and glowing pad hazes surround jacked out trance rhythms and aquatic chill-out breaks.

ANF - Mauna Kea EP (Pacific Rhythm, 2019) The title track begins with balmy swells and euphoria melodies shrouded in haze, while subarmine pings move through outerspace feedback clusters. A skipping lo-fi breakbeat emerges, comprised of double-time tambourines, air-cracking snares, and haunted voices that weave between dub-delay drum rolls. Then we drop into the main rhythm, which sees hard-hitting four-to-the-floor house hypnotics meeting nostalgic breakdance energies and hissing hi-hat breaths moving through propulsive double-time patterns. The synth swells that begin the track develop into eternally looping chordscapes that sometimes quiver on the verge of orgasm, and at other times filter-morph and detune wildly. Deep flubbing basslines jack upwards as ecstasy atmospheres hover in place and ANF dazzle the mind with vibed out rhythmic switch ups, heady fills, and psychedelic delay. Percolating acid lines fade in from celestial depths…these electronic balls of vibrating energy that move through hypnotic modulations and bubble trance vocalisms in a way not unlike Bicep’s epic “Back 2 U.” Subaqueous feedback pings and slithering space fluids drop in and out until we return to the lo-fi breakbeat glide, with mirage synth melodies growing ever more hallucinogenic and powerful. Then, as the crushing rhythms and throbbing cosmic basslines drop back in, the effect is like trancing out in a neon futureworld or cruising on starbeams through pulsating clouds of galactic dust.

Fat bottomed b-boy breaks and panning sequences comprised of sea-spray diamond tones introduce us to “Chi-Motion,” while tremolo morphing waveforms and starshine acid trails dance together. Ethereal pads wash in then float through melancholic chord progressions and eventually, the rhythms grow deeply hypnotic as chest-caving bass pulsations and sensual sub-sonic slides enter. Psychedelic filter sequences push the mind towards bliss and clipped voice samples bring a kind of 90s ambient and chill out nostalgia evoking The Orb and especially Boards of Canada…a world of dayglo VHS haze with child-like voices and hushed breaths looping and slamming downbeat jams splashing through tropical island dreamrealms. Sometimes ANF back the track down into pure sections of rhythm, all loved up breakbeat magic, intensely physical drum pressure, and soft accompaniments of blue ocean crystals fluttering in the air.  Elsewhere, we float freely on deep bass pulsations and machine tom percolations, before transitioning into an ambient driftscape where minimal hand drum pulses are submerged within a sea of synth pad hypnotism. And as we move towards the end, alien vibrato patterns soar across the sky and synthetic waves crash onto a paradise shores.

The introduction of “State/Function” revels in heatwave mirage synthesis, desert daydreams, and mystical atmospherics while liquid-soaked rimshots clatter across the spectrum. Towering sub-bass thumps bring shadow energies and sinister vibrations as a rolling four-four breakbeat enters, with linear jacking kicks and vibing off-time snare, hi-hat, and tambourine patterns. Ghostly pads continue their black haze whirlpool…like an alien orchestra locked into a swooning phaser fantasia while far-out raps and unintelligible scats are cut-up and looped into a propulsive vocal dream tapestry. Strange dial-tone melodies pulse wildly and move through descending progressions and as the sub-bass synths and kick drums fade out, we are left afloat in a haunted haze of deep blue and glowing purple, wherein skittering voice samples and psychoactive sound waves fade in from nothingness. Once the smashing rhythms return, they carry the body away to a chugging realm of dark rave magic, while industrial shaker patterns constructed from tranced out static sequences and cold expanses of synth pad melancholia wrap around the mind.

Perhaps my favorite cut here is “Mary Lynne,” which starts with swirling gemstone smears and polychromatic wave motions. Oceanic harps sit at the center of the universe and let forth plucked tones of eternal crystal that are eventual smeared out into a sort of whale song bassline. Ethno-drums and double-time cymbal taps roll as energetic “come on” samples hit at just the right moments, all before ANF drop one of the coolest breakbeats of the year, adorned by technoid futurisms, Kraftwerk-ian electronics, and gurgling bubbles of acid brass. Heavenly choirs flow out from mermaid kingdoms, LSD voices flash side-to-side, and classical cut-up vocal trance fx surf on tremolo waves while emotive synth melodies flutter softly…the track reveling in the same sort of sci-fi breakbeat hypnotism and alien rainforest spiritualism explored by Future Sound of London, with the comparison all the more appropriate as sprightly pan-pipes dance through a jungle weaving of dream threads and intertwining hallucinations. During a moment where the kick drums and acid bass gurgles recede, filter-blasted electro rhythms glide beneath a panorama of mutating voice vapors and radiant angel hypnotics. And as we drop again into the futuristic breakbeat storm, with sketchy kraut electronics merging with old skool chill-out rhythmics, the mellifluous voice layers begin ascending ever higher towards ethereal cloudlands and colorburst paradises.