5 out of 5

Label: Analogical Force

Produced by: Riku Annala

To not put it too lightly: this EP is a revelation. I’m not sure how to best undersell it so as not to oversell it, but amongst the modern labels catering to Rephlex-influenced IDM artists, Analogical Force often has a bit of an accessible bent to it – that being a very relative term – that makes putting on any new release… well, quite accessible. I’m generally confident that I’ll get a good beat out of whatever it is, and then it’s a matter of how up or down the scale of being Aphex-derivative or wildly unique it is.

Recue’s Paramnesia has its touchpoints from the scene as well, and the EP also opens with a wildly badass, moderately grimey beat that screams for some rain-slicked city street with neon clubs lining the sides to be walked down, the fittingly titled ‘Unrest’ piped into your ears as you let the crowds mill about in a blurred background, your steps timed to the rhythm. This cool-as-hell sensation is only beaten out by the track’s amped up ending, which speaks for a need to jump back to one of those clubs and get sweaty on the dancefloor.

…I say all of this as someone who never wants to be in a sweaty club, and would rather chill on this music at home than be walking some busy street. But the sensation – and how satisfying it is – remains.

So, yeah, accessible, and good beats. But Recue sidesteps the AF scale somewhat, and runs alongside: there’s more of a leftfield / jungle vibe here than the glitch and electro towards which the label often caters, making early Amon Tobin Paramnesia’s god instead of, like, Squarepusher and the like. Recue’s (Riku Annala) production brings an industrial crispness to the percussion, which creates an edge for the music to grind on; the bass-heavy low-end burble atop that makes for instantly memorable grooves, but the interplay between these elements is constantly shifting. Even when each track finds its way to an explosive BPM jump towards the end, the music is still evolving. That said, Paramnesia is the perfect balance between nailing a “sound” and innovating: each song has its own vibe, but all are part of a consistent vibe as well.

Analogical Force has a lot of really, really good stuff, and has introduced me to plenty of artists I’ve followed elsewhere. I have equally praiseworthy things to say about those releases. But: the rarity is when I can just grab onto something from the get-go, and not have to qualify it in various ways. No such qualifying exists – or is needed – for Recue’s Paramnesia. It’s just a damn good record.