Najem Sworb - Occupy WS

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  • "Prepare to commit the name Najem Sworb to memory" commanded Philip Sherburne when he reviewed the Strasbourger's previous record for RA. It wasn't a hard ask; Sworb makes some pretty incredible stuff. Occpy-WS sees him pursue a similarly musical sound, paying close attention to texture and the interaction of individual elements. In the titular track, a supple 303 coasts along, shadowed by a hollow-sounding synth. The two are like watching a bird chase in slow motion; there's rarely a moment when filters aren't swooping. Though each sequence is simple—three notes at most—this constant timbral morphing keeps them engaging for the entire duration. The embellishments from halfway—pretty pitch-bending strings—almost seem superfluous. "Aorta" is flat-out strange; it sounds like Jeff Mills mated with Boards of Canada. And it's great. The kick drum is warehouse fare; a big, dusty thunk, orbited at light speed by sticky-sounding blips. The rhythm these beat out is intense, while the BoC part is fulfilled by shimmering pads and a carouselling organ, which spins at a dizzying but happy pace. Built around a constantly-rising and resetting arpeggio, "Particules" is far gentler. As with Sworb's earlier track, "Severance," it relies heavily on this single melody, but its rounded bloops wander to such interesting quarters that not much else is needed.
  • Tracklist
      01. Occpy - WS 02. Particules 03. Aorta
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