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Matt O’Brien is a name you might recognise from his releases on Rekids or more recently Curle Recordings. Known for his Techno leaning electronic explorations, he is also the head of Off-key Industries, and its here we find his latest offering.
Opening the record we have ‘If we’re all in the back who’s driving?’. Driven by a broken beat, an undulating pad and a sprinkling of acid fairy dust the track requires no more to feel complete. Intentionally sparse but with the ability to fill your perception. A minimalistic attribute thats wholly down to the refinement of the production.
‘This is not a drill’ breaks us out of the trance like state of the opener and plunges us straight into his more off kilter sound. Groove, groove and more groove all wrapped up in weird goodness that is unfraid to show a un-pretencious but deadly side to the EP.
‘Goodbye Mr. Lahey’ is a track for the late night heads, it ebbs and flows with latent acidic intent. Piercing acid licks coupled with the dizzying bass line add to the danceable confusion O’Brien lays down in this head spin of a track.
Rounding up the EP we have ‘A particular kind of peculiar’ with Matt again showcasing another facet of his production palette. Moving back towards the rich textures he evokes with his use of emotive pads this time layered up with a driving 4/4 beat. Each track in this EP finds a way to provide an alternative feel, and the finale is no exception with the dark soundscape and intricate drum programming he weaves together.
As with all his work, this is still a raw cut of no-nonsense music, but one that has a lot of depth to it when you take a closer look. A record that takes inspiration from various scenes to generate his own unique and nuanced sound aimed squarely at the dance floor. Offering plenty of variety and stylistic choices, that are all tied together by a playful and alternative feel.
“I wanted to write the strongest possible EP I’ve ever released, one which would endure through the following years. I also wanted to strike a good balance between rugged dance floor dynamics and the deeper, more reflective side of my work. I’ve invested a huge amount of myself in this release, more so than any other. I hope people enjoy it”. Matt O’Brien
Release date: February 17th, 2020.