Kamikaze Space Programme: Concrete Musique (Mote-Evolver)

Christopher Jarman ups his game more than a bit with the rough and tumble sound of Concrete Musique, decidedly ruder in nature than stuff I’d heard a few years ago on Deca. The four tracks of Concrete Musique eschew most of the broken beat syncopation and flirtation with angular bass music and electro and instead more squarely focus on the percussive techno probably most popularized by artists such as Blawan and Randomer. It is quite literally what its title references, applied to a more dancefloor-compatible paradigm; these tracks are full of sampled bits and pieces of objects and industry to lend it much more bite than the KSP tracks I’ve heard in the past. “The Bailiff” is a clattering beast, all drums with only a few pads to infuse it with vibe. “Death to the Valley” is pinned low with some serious bass, with a mechanical feel about its samples and sounds, all brilliantly enhanced by a simple, deliberate squiggle of distorted acid.

“Network Rail” feels like the natural companion to “The Bailiff,” sharing its sensibility with rattling found sounds and stabby drums, likely again to win over fans of Blawan or Randomer’s abrasive moments. “Radio” is a nice closer, a more casual electro flavor but with a dose of white noise and fuzz applied generously. Its capitalizing on radio static and noise somehow feels clever in an age where fewer and fewer people are tuning a dial. All in all a nice albeit different side of KSP’s music, a good go-to for anyone inspired by the more physical and ruder side of techno.

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