Monday, February 1, 2016

Review: Ali-is - Hammered Swing (Needa Records)

What marks an artist’s path? Is it his views on life? His desire to create? Or is it a drive to transcend death?  The bridge from inspiration to sound has been taken by many a man, now this road has commenced for a man not of this time, forgotten by technology, erased from the industrialized clone era, an artist beneath and beyond the evident, Ali-us has been boiling in the pot of creative revolution, seeking a path of his own. He has cemented his love of humanity, circuit instruments and sub-cultures into his music. Of which we now have a chance to channel into your auditory pleasure zone.
For the first time on Needa Records, the heretic Ali-us makes his debut on a four track E.P. with two remixes being handed in by the man with a long discography, Steve Frisco. The first two are the original pieces by Ali-us; the first is “Hammered Swing”. When working on the record’s ancient hieroglyphs that you are now reading, Ali-us being the anal retentive diva that he is, suggested his music should be described as “Aggrospheric” a mix between atmospheric and aggressive. The song reminisces of basic channel with a reggae dub flavour, influence from those dark Strictly Rhythm records he probably has shelved up.  “Mosquito fish” brings the flavour in this batch of soundscapes, with a kicking beat and smooth driven echo’s trailing you into dance floor ecstasy. The key’s hit you while the strobe illuminates you into Zen consciousness in a dark cinematic way.  Steve Frisco’s remix of 'Hammered Swing' seems to pay tribute to the aggression of the original making a good case as to why he is still making music after so many years. A kid inside is most certainly pushing the love for this remix, as you can understand the play of repetitiveness so evident in the original and the remix that has made techno music so evocative after so many years. “Mosquitofish’s' celluloid beat remix by Steve is a bareback bones rhythm excursion into the deep, turning ali’s-us cinematic piece into a rush of adrenaline for the low end junkies. Stunning music by two accomplished thinkers and musicians.