AL TOURETTES & APPLEBLIM - LIPSMACKER EP (AUS MUSIC)

Bristolians Laurie “Appleblim” Osbourn and Alec “Al Tourettes” Storey occupy that murky world where dubstep and techno start to slide over each other, heating up and melting at their thinnest points to form strange new hybrids where syncopated percussion is distilled at 130bpm, minimal clicks are twisted and dripped into broken beats, and sounds can get so dark you suspect someone’s been using a wormhole powered hoover in the studio.
The menace is largely absent from their latest collaboration, replaced by a sense of frenetic fun and some gleamingly polished production. A-side Lipsmacker is a mutating tech-pounder dessicated by off beat snares and underpinned with rock solid bouncing bass. What’s really striking about this tune is the inverted jazz chords played out on hollow, filtered synths sounding by equal turns melancholy, haunting and freakishly funky, like stumbling across a degenerate Herbie Hancock playing a Juno 2 for spare change in a dank alleyway. Bleakly captivating and inescapably soulful.
On the remix, South London’s hottest property Deadboy brings a bubbling, steppy take to the table. His ever-prevalent attention to the midrange on the bassline draws out a cerebrally pleasing vibe with an eye fixed firmly on the dancefloor.
B-side Mr Swishy takes things into much breakier territory with fastidiously skittery beats and massive sweeping low-end pads. Again the whole track is anchored by a deeply funky sonic pretzel of a bassline that bends itself out of the speakers, into the ears and down the spinal column to the legs. After months and months of listening to lazily tarted up bashment beats coming through on the seemingly dominant UK funky scene, it’s refreshing to hear tight, intelligent Carter-esque drum programming and it’s amazing how much of an effect this has on shuffle-fatigued ears.
Firecracker Recording’s fresh to death houser Linkwood takes the remix duties on this one and turns in a gorgeous summery four to the floor number. Taking only a few elements from the original he deftly melds them with natural percussion and trumpet, luscious, ringing chords and faraway female vocals conjuring images of a rum-soaked sunset and spontaneous, cheesy grins.
This is another fantastic release from Will Saul’s Aus label, following on from releases from Ramadanman & Midland, Joy Orbison and Cortney Tidwell and demonstrates a clear vision of progression from all involved.

Words by Chris Lawes.