Ok as reported in the Dubstep thread a few weeks back this shiz has leaked.
So any comments?
The whole vocal/instrumental double CD bet hedging idea is actually pretty smart, but does seem to imply a certain lack of confidence (either in the quality/suitability of the vocal additions to his tracks or in the Dubstep audience's receptivity to them...) In a recent interview Pinch was quoted as saying that his tracks suited vocalling due to the fact they were so minimal and hence had a lot of space in them... but I'm not quite so sure... on a few tracks ("Gangstaz" especially) the Jukali vocals work well... but at other times these vocals appear to drown out all the subtleties which are at the heart of what makes Pinch so compelling as a producer, the level of finely wrought detail and elegant spaciousness (indeed some of the vocals appear, if not too strident then certainly over-vocalled-ie: there is singing over too much of the track, an excess for a dance track). Also comparisons to say prime Massive Attack are somewhat uncomplimentary as although Pinch is easily their equal (if not better) in musical/engineering terms, Massive Attack were at their best able to fashion genuinely compelling songs out of their vocalled tracks. However "Step 2 It" from Box of Dub 2 is excellent, and actually works as a song... obviously songwriting is a bit of a different process from constructing dance music tracks (although the easier option would be to go for less frequent vocals placed more into the track, rather than attempting full songs...). Vocals definitely ought to have a place in dubstep, but its a place which has yet to be satisfactorily demarcated or defined.
All this however is by-the-by given Mr Ellis' hedge of course. His engineering skills are now absurdly tight, sickeningly lush, as good as anyone operating in German Minimal, and his ability to spin ever more various percussion patterns out of the dubstep template is staggering, the amount of rhythmical variation on this album in comparison to other Dubstep longplayers is really notable. Also his handling of Dub as a pronounced influence without sliding into cheesily fetishistic plastic-rasta digi-dub is admirable.
So any comments?
The whole vocal/instrumental double CD bet hedging idea is actually pretty smart, but does seem to imply a certain lack of confidence (either in the quality/suitability of the vocal additions to his tracks or in the Dubstep audience's receptivity to them...) In a recent interview Pinch was quoted as saying that his tracks suited vocalling due to the fact they were so minimal and hence had a lot of space in them... but I'm not quite so sure... on a few tracks ("Gangstaz" especially) the Jukali vocals work well... but at other times these vocals appear to drown out all the subtleties which are at the heart of what makes Pinch so compelling as a producer, the level of finely wrought detail and elegant spaciousness (indeed some of the vocals appear, if not too strident then certainly over-vocalled-ie: there is singing over too much of the track, an excess for a dance track). Also comparisons to say prime Massive Attack are somewhat uncomplimentary as although Pinch is easily their equal (if not better) in musical/engineering terms, Massive Attack were at their best able to fashion genuinely compelling songs out of their vocalled tracks. However "Step 2 It" from Box of Dub 2 is excellent, and actually works as a song... obviously songwriting is a bit of a different process from constructing dance music tracks (although the easier option would be to go for less frequent vocals placed more into the track, rather than attempting full songs...). Vocals definitely ought to have a place in dubstep, but its a place which has yet to be satisfactorily demarcated or defined.
All this however is by-the-by given Mr Ellis' hedge of course. His engineering skills are now absurdly tight, sickeningly lush, as good as anyone operating in German Minimal, and his ability to spin ever more various percussion patterns out of the dubstep template is staggering, the amount of rhythmical variation on this album in comparison to other Dubstep longplayers is really notable. Also his handling of Dub as a pronounced influence without sliding into cheesily fetishistic plastic-rasta digi-dub is admirable.
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