Review: Noisia's Division operation deliver their very first multi-artist EP featuring far-out bass tests from the likes of Monuman (AKA northern D&B upstart Emperor), Signs, ARKTKT, Ponicz and JNTHN STEIN. Not a well-travelled road in sight; each act delivers something resoundingly fresh and exciting : Noisia & Ivy Lab get insanely lopsided, Monuman digs a filthy bass grave before lifting us to the heavens with evocative chords, Signs gets the motor running with an array of twisted engine samples while ARKTKT activates a spacey trap mode, all bouncy and gravity-free. Last but not least, Ponicz shreds up with a toxic instrumental hip-hop swag while JNTHN STEIN kidnaps a rainbow then pushes it down the stairs... In the same way Division push the envelope.
Review: D&B heads may recognise Sofie from her recent outing with June Miller. Here she is in solo form, on Noisia's experimental Vision off-shoot Division, and it's glorious. Sitting somewhere between Martina Toppley-Bird, Bjork, The xx and Massive Attack, her yearning, delicate tones instantly arrest over some really interesting sound design (which are a neat follow up to Two Fingers' recent EP). "Bare" is a heads-down complex cut with an almost mechanical flow to the beats while "Slip" is the end-of-night lighter raiser that's so emotional and smouldering you can feel your clothes slipping off as it builds. Remix-wise Jai Tee takes Bare into a rolling two-step territory while Steelan switches the hazy synths for a more minimal, heavier footed drum arrangement. A classy label debut from a songwriter who has potential to make serious damage. Stunning.
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