Quality, as the old adage teaches, is more important than quantity. Emperor has made a pretty big impact since his debut back in 2011, choosing not to saturate the market with a constant outpouring of releases, but instead, to take his time crafting each release with the extraordinary production values and intricate sonic design that marks every single and EP as something of an essential purchase.
The Into Black EP, the Bristolian producer’s latest offering, dropped this week on the always quality Critical Music. Spanning six tracks, the EP offers a perfect snapshot of the darker sounds of modern drum and bass, from the thick crunchiness of title track Into Black, through the tight, rolling steppiness of SMPL to my personal favourite, the obnoxious, in-your-face malice of Passed Up.
Mind Games is another standout moment, fast and furious, with a rich meatiness to its drums and bassline. She Said VIP is exclusive to the Critical Records store, with a lovely twangy bass sounding like Calyx & Teebee’s anthemic Pure Gold pumped full of steroids.
This fantastic release can be copped over at the Critical Music store, where you can also grab the vinyl, or from Beatport with other download stores to follow in the coming weeks.
Emperor:
https://www.facebook.com/EmperorDNB
Critical Music:
https://www.facebook.com/criticalmusicdnb
http://www.criticalmusic.com
