- Of the two Glaswegian Warp signees, 2010 previously belonged to Hudson Mohawke; riding on the wave of success from his debut album and creating a stir with shows at places like the main stage at Sonar Barcelona. But it's the dark knight of the duo, Rustie, who looks likely to steal the spotlight from Mohawke at the tail end of the year.
In the course of five reasonably short tracks, his debut EP for the label keeps the theatrical menace of his previous work without going for the obvious bite. Lazy hacks might try to sink their teeth into a dubstep association, but they would be horribly off the mark. Sunburst soaks up the multitude of sounds that spill out of Glasgow's musical streets, from techno and R&B to epic prog rock. Imagine a Japanese anime film set in Scotland's famous techno hole, Club 69, and you'll get a picture of the light and melodic harmonies that Rustie mixes with his hard jagged stabs and nighttime darkness.
Kicking off the EP with a fairytale-esque intro sequence that rolls into an emotional and trippy prog rock ode to Hudson Mohawke's "Fuse," "Neko" is as sing-along as instrumental tracks get. "Dragonfly" takes things straight back to the club: Big build-ups, skewed female vocals and an infectious lazer zap of frequencies feature throughout. "Beast Nite" jumps back to the band aesthetic, with drum rolls for the intro and a guitar solo to close. "Chew" is a deep, brewing R&B-laden monster which keeps busy with intricate details flitting around the growling bassline. And the whole thing whirls out to the gentle "ah ah" and "oh oh" vocal stabs of "Hyperthrust," leaving the listener on a reflective high.
Tracklist 01. Neko
02. Dragonfly
03. Beast Nite
04. Chew
05. Hyperthrust