DMX Krew: Broken SD140 Part II (Breakin)

Ed DMX continues dancing to the beat of his own drum machine after so many years. It’s inspiring to me to hear him exploring the sounds he loves regardless of how trendy they are or aren’t. And if there’s one common thread throughout his repertoire, outside of harking back to another era, it’s that each and every one of his tracks sounds like it was made with tender loving care. The sounds on Broken SD140 Part II cover a fair amount of ground, touching on the various nostalgic sounds that he’s crafted over the years. “Dramatic Exit” is pure 90s house meets braindance, while “Honeydew” has an infectious bulbous bassline and swelling pads that give it a certain swagger. “Sppoookey” recalls the dark, sculptural electro of old AFX or Chaos AD, with a mechanical break and squiggly acid bass synth, a nice contrast from “Apple Grid” and its fat synth bass and melodic sensibility, recalling the sweet melodies of Plaid. “Superficial Appearance” finishes it off with rousing arp leads and chunky drums, a nice upbeat track to close things out. DMX Krew has been steadily releasing EPs over the last several years, keeping on with the music he loves well beyond the blip of added cachet that the electroclash trend may have given him in the early 00s, and thank goodness for it. This is my favorite of his releases in some time, with each track sounding both like a throwback and quite new all at once, each with its own unique flavor yet tucking neatly into the lush timelessness of his discography.

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