INSTRA MENTAL Vinilo y CD

Review: Eight years after their ground-breaking "Resolution 653" full length, pioneering duo Instra:mental make a welcome return with their new album Timelines, and this first selection of tunes from it gives you a good idea why. "Pacific Heights" is a jumble of minimal drum beats and futuristic synth smears that is atmospheric, while "Sakura" is more sparse and zoned out thanks to forlorn chords which speak of romantic pain. Things slow down into deep rubbery rhythms on the lush "Photograph" while "End Credits" has an unexpected Balearic vibe to it, with breezy chords making for a mood that feels akin to gazing out to sea.

Review: As Instra:mental's much anticipated new album fast approaches, the instrumental (sorry) electronic duo sate our thirst with a second EP of tracks from it. This time out they kick off with the foreboding minimal rhythms of "Auto Love", which gently rises up and down on a rubbery drum loop. "Elsewhere" is a more tender mood, with 80s chords speaking of a rare vulnerability before order is restored with the prowling kicks and acid modulations of "Encke Gap". Last of all, "More Than" is another sparse but hugely absorbing affair with a gentle sense of hope among distant chords.

Review: Alex Green and Damon Kirkham's debut album has been a long time coming. It follows an action-packed decade that's seen them morph from drum & bass punishers to dubstep fusionists and, more recently, bass music experimentalists. With such experience behind them, it's perhaps no surprise that Resolution 653 is an eclectic set. What's more surprising is the expansiveness of their approach. Within the album's 13 tracks lies glass-clear electronic futurism, brain-warping acid tracks, murky dusbtep, slo-mo 4/4 sweetness, hard edged electro bounce, off-kilter IDM and, naturally, 140 BPM bass bangers. As a summary of where British bass music's at in 2011, it's unsurpassed.

Review: Nonplus allow us a peek at what the forthcoming Instra:mental album will sound like and on the evidence of these two tracks it's going to be quite rowdy indeed! "Thomp" was perhaps named in honour of the sensation that hits you as soon as the truly evil juke rhythm finds its place amidst the bass heavy industrial mist. Embellished by loose rackets of percussion, "Thomp" is a thrilling example of how Instra:mental are always looking to flip the sonic script. The flipside presents 'When I Dip", a trip into the swift retro electro territory Addison Groove recently explored on Swamp 81, with a brilliant vocal sample battling it out with rough futurist vibes over crisp 808 rhythms.

Review: The fifth and final Think & Change collects a few tracks that have floating around for some time. Instra:mental & dBridge's "White Snares" has existed since before the Instra:mental name ceased to be a concern last year, and combines the trio's pioneering Autonomic sound with a distinctly 80s-inspired sonic vibe. Martyn's "Bad Chicago" meanwhile has been anticipated since appearing in Pangaea's FACT mix in 2011; in comparison to "White Snares" it shows how far the label has come since 2009, a straight up techno track whose shackling beats are balanced with some rather subtle and twinkling melodies.