Arkist - Trapped In Tivoli

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  • Arkist is one of the most intriguing prospects in Bristol's new wave of producers, pushing an unclassifiable sound characterized more by careful polish and easygoing smoothness. Of course that also means his music can occasionally fall under a beige hue, but it's a tendency his recent run of productions seems to be moving away from. His second release for Bristol-based Deca Rhythm indeed shows him with a foot in a new direction and one stuck in the vanilla past. "Trapped in Tivoli" is bass music soft-rock supreme, gliding along effortlessly on a bassline that reveals itself to be a rather hard-edged guitar riff with all the corners sanded down. The track rumbles and buzzes like mad in its ravenous determination, percolating over a cloud of whirring dub techno chords and earnest percussion. But Arkist's taut, no-bullshit songwriting makes it: every element feels muscular and sinewy, in the perfect place at the perfect time, and to hear it all executed in one fell swoop is exhilarating. It's an uncompromising focus that the B-side "Little Red Firewerk" lacks, stretching out over eleven minutes. "Firewerk" spits out a gangly acid riff that accumulates more dirt and debris as it writhes for the track's duration, but placed on top of the track's workmanlike house thump and lifeless dub chords, the result is disappointingly pedestrian. All the more reason to put "Trapped in Tivoli" on one more time.
  • Tracklist
      A Trapped In Tivoli B Little Red Firewerk
RA