- Even considering the tendency for Bristol producers to start labels and collaborate in seemingly endless new combinations, it must be said that Headhunter gets around. Forgetting for a second that he's behind the Addison Groove moniker—the name tearing apart the dubstep world with its juke-influenced productions—he always seems to be showing up somewhere. (Not to mention that "Headhunter Remix" is a common suffix in 2010, to say the least.)
New label (based in Bristol, of course) Deca Rhythm's first release comes from Headhunter and newbie Orphan101, fresh off of his debut release for another new Bristol fledgling, Saigon Recordings. The solo Headhunter track ("Hocus Pocus") is the kind of techy dubstep goodness we've come to expect from Tony Williams, meaty drums and ropey bass forming a solid foundation for the splintered synth riff that taunts the track. It teases out little bits of aggression from the seemingly perfunctory rhythm, as the interlocking percussion turns into an orchestra of clicks and thuds.
It's the flip (and collaboration) that's far more interesting, though, as Orphan 101's preoccupation with the 4/4 side of things comes to the fore. "V.701" is a straight-up techno track, with a miniscule kick drum beating proudly as pads faintly swell on the sidelines. What's most fascinating is how it incorporates trendy UK garage tropes into a techno framework. The liquid synths and breathless vocal snippets sound oddly naked without the characteristic syncopation underpinning them, but there's a thrill to be had in this sort of nudity. Might as well embrace the voyeurism; it's a brave move to make your first release so split down the middle, and there's a thrill to be had there too. That it's not one bit off-putting to have these two tracks side-by-side is even a little heartwarming.
Tracklist A Headhunter - Hocus Pocus
B Headhunter & Orphan 101 - V.701