Buy The Pattern Prism from Amazon.
Sounds Like: "forget the defibrillator, spark 'em up with Vowels."
RIYL: Battles, Stereolab, Gang Gang Dance, Holy Fuck
A Few Words: I dropped the press release for Vowels a few weeks ago. At the time I'd only listened to one track, but it was enough for me note something interesting going on. Since then, the 8-song album by UK producer James Rutledge has become a regular part of my daily listening. Although my audio routine may differ slightly from yours.
After 9am and my fourth cup of coffee, Vowels grabs me by the ears and, with a gnarly grin, greets me with a fierce head butt. There is calculated madness behind it; from the tremolo syth on "Appendix" to the beats on "Two Wires" that roll and turn like tumbling boulders. Between this and the joe, I'm wired by 10am.
Vowels invades again in the evening when there is talk of the pub. "On Up" has become a flat favorite with it's see-saw time signature. The charge and release all taking place simultaneously, The Pattern Prism ain't no raver bomb--there's no peak. And forget about using it as background music; the album demands your full attention. In Vowels, as with Rutledge's other alter ego, Pedro, there are measured jazz elements, such as the furious early drumming on "Eh Uh," that raises the album above the realm of the hipster dance party up to something you'd actually want to listen to.
There are times when it feels like Rutledge is just messing with you--testing to see if you're still paying attention. For example, there is a pause on "Closing Circles." As if to say "just checking", the brief drop is over after a few seconds with a sudden cacophony of cymbals and horn. In fact, the more I listen to The Pattern Prism, the more personal it becomes. The record is moody but sincere, so go grab a coffee, and lend it your ears (but watch out for that head butt).
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