Containing A Thousand EP // Lakker

Label: R&S
Format: 12”/Digital
Release Date: 03/03/14

Having been sufficiently blown away by their release on Stroboscopic Artefact’s Monad series last year, Lakker have returned with what could be their strongest EP to date. The Dublin-based duo - consisting of Dara Smith and Ian McDonnell (Eomac)- focus their sound on rich dubstep-inspired atmospheres with a keen ear for delicate melodies and intricate motifs that go a long way.

This EP is no exception, ‘Containing A Thousand’ features some familiar Pangaea-style clicks and shuffles, carrying the dense cloud of vocal textures and ambience. Behind this, a carefully executed backdrop of noise, which propels the whole thing forward and provides a nostalgic mid-00s London sound.

‘Mausoleum’ is somewhat more of a trip; gravely samples are placed in abstract formation amidst spin-chilling crows and monstrously dark thuds. The track sounds like walking through a metallic jungle, forms of teeming wildlife are all around, yet they possess a morbid sense of lifelessness.

However, it’s ‘K’antu’ that really steals the show for me, with its spiralling labyrinth of arpeggios and complex rhythmic network. The tension builds ceaselessly, clearing room only momentarily before clicking back again into action. It’s masterfully put together, and marries the quintessentially 90’s sound of artists like Aphex Twin, with an unmistakably modern production.

The EP closes with ‘Thermohaline’, a no-nonsense 6am thumper that almost verges on grime, with its stark simplicity and bold dynamic structure. Again, Lakker show us how easy it is for them to employ their signature interplay of unapologetic subs and frail yet beautiful harmonies. There’s no doubt that this EP is going to sound especially good on vinyl, and stay with me throughout 2014.

Published
Mar 5, 2014

Credits
Words by Georgie_McVicar

Recommended

Containing A Thousand EP // Lakker