Mock The Zuma – Black Puddle [FRIDG006]
The idea of a black puddle conjures up some pretty intense imagery. A dirty, thick, oily spillage ruining objects in close proximity? A liquefied vortex of infinite depth? This impressive release is a fine example of music which can immerse your head and activate your imagination. And how has the artist managed to send my brain dancing on this cold grey Wednesday morning? After pondering for a while, I think I have the answers.
Mock the Zuma aka Kevin Santana is a very talented producer. He has a healthy Soundcloud following, and is generally involved in the dubstep / future garage scene. His light and vibrant production techniques allow for a peaceful listening experience, whilst still providing an admirable energy and tetchy rhythmic character. Most sounds are soft and organic, but still possessing a well-balanced clarity, due to careful mixing and veteran synth-tweaking. I absolutely LOVE the sub bass on the second track, ‘Trench’. The artist exhibits a rich technical flourish here, showing a pleasant originality whilst shaking the bass with relentless intent.
Structurally, the two tunes are very nicely constructed, and the lengths are perfect, sauntering enough for the ideas of the track to be carefully exploited and developed, without becoming stale or overly repetitive. The subtle constantly-evolving textures and timbres have been constructed in a fabulous way, regularly taking exquisite twists and turns without breaking the invigorating yet frail hypnosis.
Melodically, there is a lot to revel in. I love how each synth part seems to weave through each other, almost like each melodic sound is politely avoiding any clash in musical chat, whilst timidly contributing in the most respectful way possible.
I have recently starting doing RPM Challenge (making an album in a month), and I thought I was doing quite well. In just five days I have the foundations for four tracks which I am already quite proud of. Because of the frantic nature of this challenge, I don’t really get to listen to much music that isn’t my own. However, the ‘Larger Player’ at the FullFridge label has been there to keep me on track. The stunning consistency, continuity and coherence of the music released here is delightful, and the website is quirky yet very usable, with a strong link to Soundcloud which we have seen more and more of late. After spending a few hours putting a track together, having a break, and hearing the cold and sophisticated sounds inherent in ‘Black Puddle’, it makes me realise my 29 day album completion has got a long, long way to go before I can compete with the quality found in this release.
Mock the Zuma – Black Puddle
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This is killer! Lovin’ it! Very creative. Just when I thought I was getting tired of dub. DAAAAM!