Loops Haunt – Exits

The full-length debut of Scotland's Scott Douglas Gordon combines carefully treated field recordings, spectral synth work, musique concrete and questing, experimental beats. On Exits and Trap Door, snatches of struck metal, stuttering drums, whistles, robotic speech and distant laughter coalesce into a pulsing, meditative soundscape – Gordon creates a compositionally intricate sonic world, navigated by means of subtle synth melodies. 

Hollowed's hymnal, static-laced hip-hop occupies similar crepuscular territory to Forest Swords, while the time-stretched vocals and dubbed-out kicks of Ellum Tonal share stylistic markers with oOoOO and Holy Other. Howl's motorik rhythm has more in common with BEAK> or James Holden, while the narcotic dub of Tunneling is in a reverb-soaked universe of its own. The deconstructed electro of IIVA stands out as a dancefloor-friendly cut, while droning closer Tymadlyb is like a distant light seen from the bottom of a cold cave. A bold, definitive statement from one of the UK's most exciting producers. [Bram E. Gieben]