Airhead At Juno Download

Review: Otherwise known as Rob McAndrews, former James Blake collaborator Airhead is fast becoming one of the most interesting producers on the R&S roster since Blake's movement to more mainstream concerns. Taking a more explicitly rhythmic direction than previous release which concentrated on lush acoustic textures, "Pyramid Lake" combines rapidfire percussion, breathy vocal samples and lo-fi VHS textures to create the most unlikely club banger you'll hear this year. "Black Ink" meanwhile sounds like a maelstrom of kickdrums tumbling up and down a rubber staircase with stray hi-hats and handclaps thrown into the mix. Undeniably one of the best R&S cuts this year.

Review: The collaborator of choice for James Blake, Airhead has been wisely taking his time to develop on his own terms, sticking largely to his preferred stable at Brainmath to release his unique brand of utterly decayed 21st century beat music. Now though he steps up to R&S with a delicate 2-tracker that sees his burgeoning sound get a touch more full-bodied. "Wait" highlights the man's guitar talents, letting languid notes ring out over a typically deconstructed beat. "South Congress" however echoes Art of Noise and other such elegant experimentalists in its bombastic composition. Highly recommended.