Joe - Claptrap / Level Crossing

sallman said on Thu, 07/08/2010 - 17:04

Artist: Joe

Title: Claptrap / Level Crossing

Label: Hessle Audio

Cat#: hes014

Genre: House/Dubstep

Release Date: June 7, 2010

Rating: 7.5

This 45 from Joe over at Hessle is one of those summer set and satchel expanders. These two tracks are less like songs and more like hyper expressive / explorative tools for the dance floor. They are both designed to keep energy up but also provide a fair amount of harmonic flexibility. They are rhythm and percussion crunchers that pop and bang out some off-beat funk without the tired loops and predictable textures of other such releases.

First off, "Claptrap" delivers it's namesake better than a petri-dish packed with the neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria. Mechanical claps roll up and down the beat as dirty tape field recordings reveal ambient textures and small rhythmic surprises (human coughs and hiccups -- the power of the structural metaphor!). The hi-hats and snares accent the upbeats while textures and volumes crescendo to an all out 16th note stutter glitch freak-out that marks the end of a peak.

"Level Crossing" explores the same space. In this polyrhythmic romp, Joe expands his sound palette to include more synth bloops and electric piano stabs. The kick drum is the driving force in this train-like track. It chugs along while bumpy accents from hi hats and snares break the four based meter for triplet fills. For me, the highlight of this B-Side is the tambourine breakdown that marks the emotional apex of this set expander.

In the end, these tracks won't blow your mind. But, they will keep the speakers pumping without losing your interest. You should check this out, even just for some of the charming texture exploration.

- Neil Cline

Tracks:

A) Claptrap

B) Level Crossing