South London Ordnance - Big Boss Theme

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  • South London Ordnance's name sounds tough. And his music is as well, flexing ample percussive muscle over bruising square-wave bass. His use of compression and close reverb has a way of making his force seem all the more deliberate, exacting maximum impact out of highly controlled blows. But his isn't quite the scorched-earth war dance of someone like Blawan; there's a softness to his swagger, too. That particularly comes out on the languid, libidinal stomp of "Big Boss Theme," which takes its cues from Modern Love's slow-motion dub-techno chug, and where even the stiffest rimshots and sternest snare thwacks come wrapped in gauzy chords and several inches of air cushion. "Booth Call" is a bit faster and way heavier, with a monkey wrench of a bassline applying considerable torque while Rhodes-like chords congeal deep in the mix. The material on this EP apparently predates SLO's previous releases on 2nd Drop and Well Rounded, which might explain why "Harrier" and "The Question (The What?)" seem to take a step backwards into slightly less distinguished UK techno territory. "Turkish Delight" rounds out the EP with a slightly more contemplative take on similar ideas, balancing shadow-boxing drums and rave sirens with the kind of floating organs you might hear in a Matt John track. You can hear him plotting his next move with every glancing blow.
  • Tracklist
      A Big Boss Theme B1 Booty Call B2 Harrier Digital: The Question (The What?) Digital: Turkish Delight
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