Alex Green and Damon Kirkham are Instra:Mental – and they raised a bit of a fuss when combining with D:Bridge on a Fabric compilation last year that covered all sorts of bases with its varied beats. Their debut album continues their intriguing path of making beats without a blueprint, with tracks that call to mind dubstep, techno, drum and bass and early house without actually being any of those things. The rebounding beats of ‘Thomp’ stand out, as do the electro subtleties of ‘Love Arp’, while ‘Waterfalls’ draws from Detroit in one of the more obvious references. Often the duo prove capable of working at two speeds in the same track, and ‘Talkin’ Mono’ gets pulled between slow and fast, creating an odd sort of tension that runs through much of the record. Atmospheric chords and deep bass abound, completing a sound that is highly original and consistently rewarding. A stand out album in 2011 to date, that’s for sure.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Ben Hogwood
