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Review: Liuos – Negative Ions (2019)

I get notifications from a label that specializes in Dub Techno and Ambient music, Cold Tear Records. They are based in Lithuania, and have a treasure trove of hidden gems in their catalogue. Since I have bought something from them, I get emails whenever they release something. This has been a great boon to my music collection, and this review covers one of those releases.

Negative Ions is a 4-track EP from Liuos (the recording name of Jari Österberg), an artist from Finland; it's available at Bandcamp. When I first queued this up, I immediately liked it. It's got both a heavy and bouncy vibe to it, if that makes any sense. The bass is thick, the kick drum has a crisp tone reminding us of the bottom note of the key signature, and the rhythms above give it a lot of liveliness.

Just a few specific notes: Synoptic Scale includes some traditional Reggae rhythms in it, signaling Dub Techno's roots in Jamaican Dub. While I don't have a comment about Nacreous Clouds, it is still solid. My personal favorite, Hadley Cells, is one of the best Dub Techno tracks I've heard. While rooted firmly in the genre with its dubby elements and pounding beat, it includes unusual elements such as hi-hat drum fills and some guitar licks. Diffuse Reflection has a more laid back vibe, and is perfect for closing the set.

However, the thing that led me to review this album was a certain mental process that happened as I listened to it more. Once I've heard something a few times, I start picking apart the elements and how they work together both in a sonic textural way and in a rhythmic way. During that phase of my listening, the original aggregate effect of the elements is lost on me as I work through the musical content. Sometimes, I never regain the initial perspective I had of the pieces working together as a whole. But with this one, once I completed my analysis phase, my view of the whole returned.

No matter how consistent an artist is, sometimes everything just comes together perfectly and there's a release that is a cut above the rest. This strikes me as one of those recordings. Just as an example of what I mean, check out Yagya's Rhythm of Snow. Everything on it is solid, and it all hangs together as one work.

If you like Dub Techno at all, I highly recommend this EP. If you're not sure about the genre, give this one a try. It's exemplary of how good Dub Techno sounds when done well.

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