[Tectonic]

Even though Tectonic is primarily known for its bass-heavy dubstep, the label’s weighty discography gets punctuated by outliers once in awhile. Alongside label boss Pinch and producers Skream, Peverelist, Kryptic Minds, Jack Sparrow, and 2562, there have been interesting deviations like Flying Lotus and Joker. Illum Sphere’s new 12″, Dreamstealin EP, fits into this under-140 bpm subset of Tectonic. The Manchester-based producer has had a string of releases on 3024 and Fat City, most recently with The Plan Is Dead EP. His mix of hard drums and woozy atmospherics has been morphing and maturing in a relatively short time frame, and this latest single is easily his most accomplished work yet.

In particular, “Dreamstealin” is a massive track, sure to be remembered at year’s end for the warped and foreboding string sample that tantalizes the ears like hazy memories of film scores past. The drums tumble into the dust-coated fog of pads and resolve themselves into a shaky but steady pulse. Like label companion Flying Lotus, Illum Sphere’s music has an improvisational jazz inflection which keeps the beats and melodies from going stale. Running between the real string and drum samples there is also a subtle synth melody that provides an interesting counterpoint to the jazz and classical sensibilities. As a companion track, “Blood Music” is much less foreboding but also more rigid. Having more in common with techno-centric rhythms, a solid 4/4 rides beneath a looping siren with its sheen rounded off. The backbone is a thick bass fuzz which rests comfortably amid the boogie stew. The Indigo remix of “Blood Music” presents a third facet of electronic composition, recalling classic IDM programming from Morr Music artists like Styrofoam and ISAN. Tiny shards of glitch flicker throughout at a glacial pace, cooling down the warmth of the original track and brightening the melody. Combined with “Dreamstealin,” the two versions of “Blood Music” show the dynamics of Illum Sphere’s sound in how it lends itself to different moods and situations.