Misty Conditions – D'Zzzz

Fans of extreme electronic music will be pleased to hear of Henry Collins aka DJ Shitmat's return, a sonic terrorist who explored the realms of jungle, drum and bass and hardcore with his transgressive productions. Now one half of Misty Conditions with LA producer Richard Wilson, he has entered the realms of trap, bass music and hip-hop, with a thick, sticky film of sonic grime that is Collins' stock in trade.

The beats on D'Zzzz are often simple, with relatively little complexity or variation, but the loops here are killer, and when they hit home, as on the infectiously banging trap of Dusco, on D'mmmm's hyperactive juke assault, in the loopy boom-bap of Death, or the pitch-dark Dank, they are devastatingly effective. More challenging cuts, like the beatless synth-wash of Drowning, or the scuzzy, static-laden dub techno of Dilute, have less broad appeal, but are just as intriguing. An essential record for Shitmat aficionados and beyond; Collins' most accessible to date. [Bram E. Gieben]