Review: Hot on the heels of the recent Forwardbase Kodai EP, his first Monobox release in seven years, Rob Hood now delivers a new artist album under that guise. Echoes of the project's previous focus run deep on tracks like the minimalist house of "Rise" and the mutant funk bass of "Exoplanet", but there is also a focus on more traditional Detroit house and techno tropes. In places, like on the rolling drums and soulful synths of "Blackwater Canal", the influence of Floorplan is audible, while the acid-tinged sweeps of "Drydock" marks out new territory - both for Monobox and the singular producer behind the project.
Review: This release is the first Monobox material from Robert Hood in seven years and marks a change of direction. Like his Floorplan work, the title track is direct and impactful: revolving around a rolling bass and ominous, steely chords, it's the clubbiest material that this Hood project has yielded. The remixes follow a similar path: Phase ups the tempo with a jittery rhythm that acts as the backdrop for muffled vocal samples, while Hood's own reshape teases those steely chords into filtered intensity over a pounding groove. The only concession to Monobox's stripped back, nuanced past comes on "Homestead", where a more subtle rhythm underpins chiming melodies.
Review: This is something of a treat for techno fans: a rare appearance from Robert Hood's sci-fi inspired Monobox project. Amazingly, the last original material Hood released under the pseudonym was way back in 2003. This brand new two-tracker sees him in fine form, layering exotic, alien melodies over typically jacking, stripped-back techno rhythms. "Film" opens proceedings. With darting electronics and melodic synths riding a hypnotic, clap-heavy groove, it's as hypnotic and engaging as you'd expect, with a more picturesque feel than many of Hood's productions. "Rectangle" is a touch dubbier with more than a hint of acid within the chaotic electronic squiggles and relentless kick drums, while grandiose cymbals give the track a sweaty, energetic feel.
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