The Friendly Fire EP

The Friendly Fire EP

Blame, Survival, Fracture, Makoto,...

4 May, 2008 | 3.06AM

• Written by: The Last Real DJ Alive
• Filed under: Music Recommendations: blame, hospital, makoto

The reliable oasis of music inside the sometimes oppressively hot drum & bass scene – Hospital Records – has realised a veritable banquet of sonic tomfoolery for the month of March in what is known as ‘The Friendly Fire EP’.

This reviewer isn’t sure if Blame’s ‘Hindsight’ is from the year 2008 or 1993; and this incompetence is surely a sign of how authentic and magical this track really is.

We all know that Blame is an incredible producer and this piano-driven smasher of an anthem is a testament to his greatness.

Survival and Fracture go on a contrasting journey with ‘Tracks Of Our Time’ – a melancholy slice of “Blues & Bass” featuring an unusual-for-a-D&B-tune freestyle saxophone.

Aside from this, the production offers up a sad, subliminal pad that hovers innocuously in the background, as well as a cute army of filtered stabs and chunky but diddy beats.

‘Super Highway’ by Agent Alvin is an unusual drum & bass number – overtly musical at times as if John B were at its keyboard, but something that is also quite noisy and centred upon up front beats and basses.

Its producer’s choice of sounds – synths and samples – is avant-garde and interesting; but sometimes the melodies are a bit unimaginative.

‘Voyager’ by Makoto and T-Ak is the one you’ll probably be buying this EP for.

Having done very well on the Beatport download charts, ‘Voyager’ is an example of control.

Control in that sometimes it’s a better idea not to go overboard with crazy samples and effects in a drum & bass production; that a bit of restraint can conjure up something infinitely more complex and moving than 100 layers of sound.

Its pads inside are beautifully realised and sound angelic.

A real beauty – ‘Voyager’ is only a few clicks away from being downloaded into your Traktor Scratch player, so what are you waiting for?

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