Neosignal - Energy EPs

Rockwell, Noisia, Misanthrop, Phace, Spor
Energy EPs
NEOSIGNAL

Neuro and tech-funk giant Neosignal have really stepped it up a notch with their latest project, a series of three EPs collectively titled Energy, featuring collaborations between label owners Misanthrop and Phace and Rockwell, Noisia and Spor. Large!

The first EP begins with Energie, a massive dancefoor flattener from Misanthrop & Phace. Starting off with a downright evil atmospheric intro comprised of distorted harmonic dissonance and half-time drums, the tune only gets nastier. The drop is absolutely outrageous, with huge, overdriven kicks and snares pounding away underneath a phat, cut up, techy bassline. On the flip, Noisia and Phace strip things down to the bare essentials with a glitchy minimal d&b cut entitled Micro Organism. All the trademark Noisia and Phace elements are there: tight, ultra-clean production, intelligent effects and sonics, and most of all, heavy sub bass. The choppy drum patterns and sparse kicks give the low end plenty of room to move, and the slow addition of extra layers of percussion, blips and atmospherics make this one a well-paced grower.

EP number two again features Misanthrop, this time working alone to come up with Amboss. Another aggressive stormer, Amboss has straighter, bouncier beats than Energie, but is most definitely still chockers with absurd bassline action and some additional devastating rave synths for good measure. Phace & Rockwell’s NO! is the winner on this EP however (and of the whole release, in fact). It’s the best bits of Rockwell combined with the best bits of Phace; so essentially it’s the best bits of D&B in one tune. The intro gives the impression it will be a party track, but once it drops it drops it’s just all dark grooves. The beats are simple and unobtrusive, allowing the lower reaches of the track to shine through, propelling it along with deep, growling sub bass and a stabby, more midrange-filled bassline.

The final EP sees Misanthrop & Phace teaming up once again on What’s Wrong? Judging by the sheer absurdity of the bassline, I’d say there’s a few things wrong with whatever goes on in those boys’ heads. Rugged, raw and ravetastic, the bassline jumps up a few notes at the start of each bar before stepping back down the scale with a strong LFO cutting it in and out of the mix. The second drop adds a few more hoover-esque bass sounds and clever breaks and edits although it starts to feel a little dragged out and monotonous by then. Out of Focus from Phace & Spor finishes off the series in fine style, returning to the clean, glitchy, techy vibes. It really does a lot with very little. The percussive layers consist pretty much solely of tight kicks, hollowed-out snares and closed hats, and aside from a few metallic clangs and melodic interludes, this jam is pretty much all bass. But the beauty of it is the way the bassline is tweaked throughout the track. It’s subtle, but it’s there, and it keeps the tune interesting throughout, which doesn’t often happen with tech rinse outs.

Energy EP Tracklisting:
E. Phace&Misanthrop - Energie
N. Phace&Noisia – Micro Organism

E. Misanthrop - Amboss 
R. Phace&Rockwell – NO!

G. Phace&Misanthrop – What’s Wrong
Y. Phace&Spor – Out of Focus

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