Fanu - Paracosm

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  • Along with Paradox, Finland's Janne Hatula is best known as one of the prime purveyors of drumfunk, a style of drum & bass known for its virtuosic chopping of breaks—a trait that now sounds dated to many ears. After publicly announcing his retirement due to frustration with the music industry, Fanu is back with a new EP and a slinkier sense of drum programming. Though it's at drum & bass tempo, the half-stepping lurch of "Paracosm" makes every drum hit feel pounding and precise. The drums are big, metallic and far removed from the jazzy touches of his past work. They keep a curious, slightly broken orbit around the bassline, while careful synth work and vocal snippets give it a claustrophobic feel, an industrial makeover for Fanu's usually limber beats. "Yin Dub" has a similar vibe but with an Orientalist twist: the rolling tabla-like percussion is nice until the vocal sample pushes it over the edge into uncomfortable cultural pastiche. It's a solid, if slightly clumsy, counterpart to the much superior flipside.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Paracosm B1 Yin Dub
RA