Staff Reviews

Shackleton - Three EPs

Review by Rory Gibb

Where he fits into our post-everything glut of cultural detritus is a mystery at this point, but it’s of little consequence - Shackleton is a unique musician, and Three EPs is a fully immersive experience.»

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the august rhythm auteur shackleton gives us all something to get very excited about with the release of his debut solo long player (of sorts) for the equally revered perlon imprint. since his relocation to berlin a couple of years back we've witnessed a marked shift in tempos and style from his more dubstep compatible productions on skull disco towards a tempered blend of that city's house and techno modes sharing a common theme of dubwise rhythmic experimentation. now a resident of the perlon camp, home to the unique productions of ricardo villalobos, stefan goldman and soulphiction among others, he's created a set of rhythms that reinforce his status as one of the most interesting producers - dancefloor or otherwise - in operation right now. all the familiar hallmarks of his style are present, from the often claustrophobically tactile bass weight, to industrial tainted atmospheres and intricate percussive programming, forming loose patterns peculiarly at odds with the metronomic heritage of berlin but fully in tune with the physical urge that drives so much of it's music. the large majority of this material is fresh off the block, sounding like they came from a consistent set of sessions featuring the producer in a particularly febrile mood, like the restless drones and tense syncopations of 'moon over joseph's burial', and 'it's time for love', or the eastern influences cyclically bleeding through on 'mountain of ashes' or closer 'something has got to give'. however, quite possibly the best track here is an old favourite, with the overcast vista of 'there's a slow train coming' making a hugely welcome appearance to these ears. without a doubt, we can say this is one of the albums of the year and should reward any investments twice over in sheer sonic thrills and an entirely unique experience you won't hear anywhere else. bravo.
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