In a world where dubstep has steamrolled through the mainstream and EDM now rules the airwaves, Drum & Bass is no longer the subversive, sinister child it once was. The genre is getting up there, now being referenced like Zeppelin or Floyd. Staples of youth that are now relics. For those who are still stuck at 180 bpm, the task is to get creative and infuse the medium with new flavours to keep it relevant.
Totemic, the brainchild of Toronto, Canada’s Doug Penny is an astral blend of middle-eastern melodies and turn of the millennium UK breaks. The violinist/DJ/producer has been making a name for himself on the east coast, a regular on the summer festival circuit. On Falling, the new EP out May 17th, he opts to put down the strings for the most part to let the synths do the talking.
The lead single and the album’s eponymous first track bobs and weaves its way in. Punchy falling-down-stairs piano gives way to dreamy chords overlaying pensive DnB. Waves of reverb wash over with glitches like seagull caws floating overhead. The piece, though entirely electronically sourced, feels deeply organic.
‘Static Blitz’ features a Silk Road violin intro that quickly disseminates in to dizzying bits and bytes swirling themselves into the frenetic beat. The wistful mood gives way to driving, unyielding breaks. Jacob’s Ladder synths and rolling-around-your-head bass make this a throwback track to drum & bass at its peak.
The darker, ‘Devil’s Heart’ drifts back to the ethereal. Snares rattle around like they’re being hammered out in a deep concrete bunker. The haunting airy chords over the whiplash drums bring to mind the cinematic industrial of Download.
The forth movement, ‘Endless Dream’ is layered with sprawling synths. Distant string wails echo in the background. Sampled hand drums handle the rhythm invoking the vision of a bongo player on speed. The final chase in the dream.
Totemic’s lush new EP is well crafted, atmospheric liquid funk. No insane drops or bust through the floor bass, Falling has a smooth, rolling sound. The drum and bass backbeat merely gives it a spine but is far from the main feature. The four movements instead feature varied sonic landscapes, each painted with a different set of colours. Falling isn’t genre shattering but takes the tools of the trade and uses them well. I did find myself missing the violin on this album, the calling card of his other works. The fusion takes it to an otherworldly place, more than simply something to bounce to.
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