Jeremy Black delivers his unique style of genre-bending electronica in his latest EP, Charade.
Berlin-based producer and composer Jeremy Black, best known for his work with alternative/indie artists, continues his new electronic project with the second of four planned releases. The experimental EP features six tracks that blur the lines between genres, but still retain a sound of their own.
The EP kicks off with Charade FT. WHITE DENIM. A high-octane mashup of a big 303 acid bassline, the classic (but slightly overused) ‘Amen’ break and housey piano chords, coming together to form a typical but effective dance track. The inclusion of chopped-up psych-rock vocals from James Petrali (White Denim) really make things interesting though, an example of the fusion of genres that runs through the EP. Byte FT. Z.I.P.P.O continues in a similar fashion with more old-school rave breaks and hard-hitting bass. Gaps filled with jazzy piano melodies break up the track nicely and there are enough different elements to keep it engaging.
Up next is LASH¸ which was born after a studio jam with Black’s long-term collaborators FJAAK. You can hear the influence from the techno duo in the track’s raw industrial feel, which would sound at home blasted out of any Berlin sound system. Subtle percussion progression and big synths in the latter stages keep things fresh and varied, in what is a slightly repetitive number.
The EP continues with two four-on-the-floor techno rollers. Eery modular synths create dark and trippy soundscapes in Broker, whilst gentle arpeggios and muffled drums flow nicely through Good Bear, an enjoyable changeup. Charade concludes with a remix of Lash from Body Cuts head honcho Body Copy. A fresh take that ditches the original breakbeats for choppy percussion and cranks up the BPM, vastly different than the original but just as effective.
Despite spending much of his career working with the likes of Bon Iver and Jack White, Jeremy Black seems at home creating dark techno beats laden with 90’s rave breaks. Charade is far from ground-breaking, but a solid collection of well-thought-out, expertly produced tracks. Black obviously knows what works and none of the tracks can really be faulted, but I would have liked them to be more ambitious and really push the boundaries. Overall, an impressive EP with some solid tracks, I’ll be sure to check his next two releases further down the pipeline.
Score: 3.5/5
Leave a comment