Keith Worthy - The Price of Non Conformance

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  • It's fair to say the vocal skits on Keith Worthy's debut album will do little to assuage those who, like Pinch, think dance music doesn't suit the LP format. Though they are moderately thought-provoking (musing on why people make albums in the first place, and stating that, "you would think everyone knows this music comes out of a black community") they don't make the record any more coherent overall. Instead, they break up the flow of tracks that, in isolation, seem keen to induce listeners into a far-gazing trance, with their glassy melodies and metallic synth lines. That richly melodic sheen is something that characterises most releases on Worthy's label, Aesthetic Audio, and it lends his own music a unique personality. For someone who admitted to RA in 2010 that he was still very much a producer in the making, Worthy's done a good job of forging a signature sound. "All I ever wanted to do was be myself," says a voice on the opening track, and in that regard he succeeds. Tracks like "Deeptroit" are wired up with rusty percussive lines, staccato synths and spiralling pads that place you right at the centre of Worthy's cosmic sound world. Most of these tracks have icy pads and oversized hi-hats so loud in the mix they make your eyes water. This makes them seem to jump out of the speakers, not least on "Jazz," with its early Planet E soul and manic, one-finger key bashing. There's also something otherworldly about the way "Guilty Pleasures ($ Of N.C Mix)" rides up and down the scale, with thudding drums deep down below and rattling percussion off to one side. It's a track that shows the album's great sense of space. Rather than hurrying from A to B, these frosty cuts stretch out in all directions, often leaving long trails in their wake.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Interlude #1 A2 Deeptroit A3 Interlude #2 A4 Jazz B1 Interlude #3 B2 Guilty Pleasures ($ Of N.C. Mix) B3 Interlude #4 B4 Leftfield C1 Interlude #5 C2 The Aesthetic Track C3 Karma ($ Of N.C. Mix) D1 Interlude #6 D2 Resilience D3 The Elephant In The Room
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