Amphior
One of my all-time favourite Dark Clover releases. The experimental approach is super unique all the way through and I'm loving the twisted and dark gospel-ish atmosphere found on this EP.
Favorite track: MoNY.
For his Dark Clover debut, James Davey a.k.a. Blak Nite unsheaths the technical prowess which had him pushing the boundaries of post-Ed Banger heavyness on his previous EPs, and repurposes it for slower, if not necessarily less intense jams. In simply and overtly trying to fit the pallete of what James sees as "the Origami Sound sound", he accomplishes so much more, his "Shadow Party" leveraging not only his considerable talent but a wide array of impeccable influences into bass music truly worthy of the oft-abused "future" hashtag.
Going for "something that sounded as if it was found in a ditch or gutter or down a back alley", Blak Nite delivers instantly memorable sonics – like a garbage pail coming to life, the din of its unholy movement providing the percussion, as it wrests old ghetto blasters from itself and plays whatever damaged tapes were in them when first discarded. "Dope Machine" firmly establishes this aesthetic from the outset, and employs a cinematic flair for mystery, before erupting into an uplifting assembly of manipulated vocals. "Shake" lays masterfully restrained Burial-esque heartwrenching upon a bed of brooding bass and truly broken beats. "Wicca" takes the deconstruction further... by now the beats are falling apart in real time before our ears, the vocals hauntingly and musically detune, with the song climaxing via Blak Nite's introduction of a signature grimy bass that seems to have built up organically from the crackle, hiss, feedback and detritus. "MoNY", by far the most jocular of the four, racks up the tension via its unnerving rhythm before revealing itself as a soothing finale worthy of innumerable gasps of contention.
Every track is "littered" with myriad small details, brief dialogue samples, movie quotes, all of them faintly audible at times... unveiling the considerable concept, meaning and soul poured into these songs, but only at the cost of lenghty repeated listening. Dim the lights, and have yourself a shadow party.
Top 100 Tracks Bundle (2013-2015) Featuring 40+ artists from our 6 imprints - Origami Sound, Clubwerks, Dark Clover, Canvas, FORZA and Farver. Dark Clover
Tender bedroom pop from this artist from Spain that wrestles with emotions amidst whirring drum machines and moody keys. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 21, 2021