Unhinged

Unhinged is the debut compilation from Paul Wright’s new label Last Possible Solution. Previously a member of Deviant Species, he is now producing primarily under the banner of Neural Rectifier Syndrome, and his influence can be heard all over this release. The sound of LPS and Ambivalent Records is an original one, falling somewhere between full-on, darkpsy, and the South African sound. The cover art features one wicked looking crustacean, brandishing its claws under a full moon.

Damage opens the compilation with a dirty tribute to a rave classic – Funky Beats. You might recognize the sample “if you really like to rock the funky beats” from ages ago. The sound here is nothing short of perverted, with demented sounds frolicking spastically around fat kicks and the breakbeat from the original. DJs should note that it’s a bit slow at 138 so you may have some trouble finding something to mix it with. The appeal to psychedelic fans is dubious at times, but if you enjoy a warped spin on the golden days of rave as I do, you might dig this.

Scorb’s Kakah Tooki is a plain dancefloor storming track alternately Tim Burton-esque and unabashedly full of what you might call hoovers for psy freaks. Big rolling bass notes perforate the energetic beats in the usual way, but the main feature is the deep breakdown right in the middle that features an obnoxious and gimmicky sample from the movie Evolution that is sure to raise more than a few eyebrows. This is transiently fashionable at best – Scorb has much better tracks out there.

Icebreaker is an interesting fusion of Neural Rectifier Syndrome and Tenzing, showing off the label’s core sound with a casual sneer. Very similar to a lot of the tracks on Kick Drum Inertia, this one is a sparse and moody gothic-flavoured song full of scratchy melodies and precisely produced bass lines. As with much of the output from NRS the composition is rather restrained, very dark, and nicely polished. As it is a more serious piece of work, I deem it to be a highlight from the compilation.

Tenzing teams up with the other half of the old Deviant Species duo, Green Reefah, to deliver Robot-O-Me next. Sparse and minimal as it is, I would compare it to the sound of In the Hands of the Randomiser. Just about the only really interesting moment is a wild flaring sound that appears at the end of the middle break, ushering in what turns out to be a somewhat dull though demented denouement.

RAM springs up to chug back a Liquid Lunch in the midst of all this chaos, but it’s something of a blase exposition compared to the goodies on their debut album Efficient Chips. Unfocused and disposable.

Scorb’s remix of Absolutely by Broken Toy is the star anthem of the compilation. Playful bass lines roll amidst a wild smattering of effects and vocal sample manipulation, soon giving way to more thoughtful melodic interludes that set the mood nicely. It has depth and class for a dancefloor filler, that’s for sure. One would expect this to appear on a Timecode compilation instead of this assortment of much darker material, but it isn’t unwelcome by any means.

Scorb returns for a final exposition with Phibian, a layered melodic journey through the original mind of Ady Connor. I am curiously disaffected by this piece, which simply doesn’t do much for me. I think the problem is that it sounds less refined and processed as his work usually is, leading me to wonder if this is an older track that was thrown on to pad the compilation. Probably not, but the composition is lacking the usual magic in my opinion. It’s been well received so your mileage may vary.

The last two tracks turn things over to label master Paul Wright under his Neural Rectifier Syndrome moniker. Unbreakable is a collaboration with Far East Ghost and exposes a hard and menacing style that is only a few steps back from genuine hardcore. The beats roll with near-ceaseless impunity, powerful snare rushes driving the story into dissassociated breakdowns. It can be appreciated for how relentless and unforgiving it is, but there’s not too much here to distinguish it from the herd.

Resurge kills the compilation with a solid tune that easily could have been include on Kick Drum Inertia. The original NRS style oozes from the speakers when this one is churning on by, round bass and precise rhythms complimenting one another to create an irresistable synthetic groove. A balance of droning sequences and menacing tension building imbues this one with a menacing poise that elevates it above some of the rest. It’s a fine way to end this debut!

Unhinged is an aptly titled compilation packed with sinister slammers to rock the dancefloor. It’s clear these guys like their three letter acronyms! The quality of production remains consistent for the most part, though I find some of the end results lacking in some ways. This is only the first from LPS however; better releases didn’t take long to emerge. In the months that followed this release, Neural Rectifier Syndrome, Deviant Species, and RAM all released albums of their own, flooding the market with variations on this same sound. I ended up snagging all of them, as well as the follow-up compilation Symptoms of Compliance. Unhinged is probably the most disposable of the lot – good for a first taste, but easily eclipsed by some of the more advanced work on later releases. While there are a handful of good tunes here, I deem it to be an average release, suitable as an extra for fans but not something to make converts with.

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