Loops Haunt: Exits (Black Acre)
Exits builds on the palette of his Arc and Zenith EPs with a more varied set of sounds. Over its numerous tracks, Exits finds Scott Gordon more unpredictable than ever, starting with the improvised prologue of “Exits” and the subsequent freeform sprawl of “Trapdoor” before proceeding into the downtempo dirge of “Hollowed.” The latter reminds me of some of the stonier moments of early DJ Shadow and Mo’Wax, but it’s a fleeting comparison.
“Howl” is a galloping rock beat paired with a rousing, coarse triplet bassline, splitting the difference between Plaid and Battles. The squiggly acid lines of “IIVA” push it closer to sounds that usually emanate from Rephlex than anything I’ve heard from Loops Haunt before, but it’s an effective track in the middle of the album. It’s a pretty direct contrast to “Hex” which follows, a dreamy track that’s all twinkle and pulse.
Elsewhere Gordon touches on chillwave (the clicks and cuts looping of “Ellum Tonal”), darker soundtracks (the dark imagery of “Tunnelling”), or more tripped out, jazz-tinged excursions (“Tymadlyb”). It’s not a particularly even album, but its restlessness works to its advantage, in my opinion. While I don’t think anything from Loops Haunt has topped “Ark” from his debut EP for me, Exits is a worthwhile listen, touching on the fringes of many genres and exploiting those spaces between to good effect.
Buy it: Black Acre | Boomkat | Bleep | iTunes | Amazon
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