Surely a focal point for the dub/funky community and all its extractions in the coming months is Darkstar’s debut album North, released on London’s alt-electro hub Hyperdub; renowned for tapping into the capital’s freshest, most forward-thinking beatsmithery. More than that, the label’s output has defined itself as a set of feelings and atmospheres in noise rather than genre prerequisites. Down to the notable inclination towards noiry, minimalist packaging, that Steve ‘Kode9’ Goodman sound is midnight, lamp-lit London boroughs, the purple rain through a night bus window and the heave of a smoggy rave; drenched in sub and chemical exertion. Epitomised so definitively by Burial’s In Mcdonalds in 2007, Hyperdub has established itself as more of frame of mind than a record label.
It comes as no huge surprise then that North - down to a finely filed tee - is quintessential Hyperdub. Punctuated by chunky, futurist synth chords ripped straight from Ambient 4 era Eno, progressive beat modifications and an ethereal, persuasive vocal from James Buttery, Gold - which covers a Human League obscurity - evokes the same earth-shattering street realism as any of the label’s best releases. Like a dysfunctional android outing words from its stuttering, crashed face in a factory dustbin, Buttery spits heart-torn emotion over microsound electro and a Mark Hollis piano loop.
Deadness is notable for elongated synth grooves and its meandering pace; musical themes scattered in and about the record. A highlight of many a dubstep-minded audiophile’s day-to-day life for a while has been Aidy’s Girl is a Computer. Filling in for its Philip K. Dick-esque title is Darkstar’s staple, champion moment: beautifully pitched monologue, interjecting hints of androgyny beside floor-friendly 2 step and achingly Balearic, baking synth lines. It all works marvellously, amounting to no less than anthemic levels of originality and euphoria.
The heart and angst bubbling at the player’s heart rises to the fore further in, and towards the end. Ostkreuz is a reflective, post-apocalyptical synth piece, painting scenes of devastation in droning canvasses and Dear Heartbeat builds upon a tastefully poignant piano accompaniment.
James Young and Aiden Whalley have developed a sound so distinctly Hyperdub that some feared it would soon become vacant in the mire. The album’s focus on textures, subtly blended vocal melodies and 80s cinema synths is more than enough to raise them above and beyond these expectations and in doing so, they have set the flavour for a winter of expansive snow scenes, drenched shelters and the distant noise of bustle, finance and office light.
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