It’s
been a long time coming, but, after ten years, Luke
Vibert has finally made it to his spiritual home, Warp,
and released an album of good old acid. Not that he
hadn’t tried to flog a few of his acid tracks
here and there before, but they always seem to get in
the way of his other love: hip-hop. Although the man
has been rather prolific since he released his debut,
Phat Lab Nightmare, released under the Wagon
Christ banner, back in 1994, dabbling in genres as diverse
as ambient, drum’n’bass (who could forget
the little gem that was Drum’n’Bass
For Papa as Plug), electro or dub, Vibert remains
best known for his hip-hop flavoured electronica and
his cut’n’paste approach. So this new album
offers a refreshing insight into his vast musical landscape.
Determined to make a point, with the first extract from
this album shouting loud and clear I Love Acid
and insisting on the pH at the end of the title for
this ninth album, Luke Vibert sets the record straight.
Acid is neither dead nor irrelevant. But, don’t
be mistaken. This album is not a nostalgic journey into
late eighties dance music. Quite the opposite. Vibert
might have played around with his 303 for years, but
YosepH is resolutely modern. Although bearing
all the characteristics of the genre, evoking in turn
the best moments of 808 States – that’ll
be everything before they started rubbing shoulders
with celebs – and his mate Aphex’s
Polygonic excursions, this album is resolutely modern.
Starting in surprisingly subdued fashion with the indolent
and sumptuous Liptones, YosepH soon
asserts its identity with Synthax and Freak
Time Baby, arguably the most classic acid moment
here. A master as crafting incredibly complex yet accessible
tracks, Luke unusually juggles here with linear beats,
clean bass lines and straightforward melodies. Yet,
the unmistakable Vibert touch is palpable all the way
through. The use of familiar vocal samples on Freak
Time Baby, Countdown or the ominous
Ambalek wouldn’t have sounded out of place
on Big Soup or Tally Ho, and the meticulous
approach to his sonic environment remains intact. Although
deceptively simple in appearance, these thirteen tracks
develop over intricate textures. The splendid I
Love Acid is a perfect example. Kicking off as
a Kraftwerk parody,
it soon incorporates some nasty 303 assault. Acidisco
proves even more fascinating as the beat progressively
rolls in and Vibert fools around, while the title track
is a virulent revision of 808 State’s Cubik.
Listening to YosepH, it suddenly seems absurd
that Luke’s acid hasn't generated much interest
from his past labels until now. That it’s taken
ten years for Warp to get him on board to finally collate
what undoubtedly represent a drop in his vast collection
of unreleased material can therefore be welcome with
even more joy. Luke’s made it home, and he’s
brought with him his most compelling album to date.
4.8/5 |
