Review: Bruce – Before You Sleep/ In Line/ Sweat

The enigmatic Bruce has just dropped his first EP of Y2K17 with his first offering on the excellent Hemlock Recordings. After his first release back in 2014 he's worked with a small but select group of labels and the emphasis has always been on quality rather than quantity. Last year he put out some of his strongest material to date with EPs on Hessle Audio and the Bristolian label Idle Hands and it seems that this pairing with the much lauded Hemlock is a logical next step. 

We open up the EP with “Before You Sleep” which is a brooding tour de force. Bruce spends plenty of time setting up a dark, occultish procession of pitch bent gongs, fluttering percussion and a bass that’s felt rather than heard. But once the scene is set, the march abates and the creamiest of chords come in, adding a layer of pathos to the once menacing undertones.

Next up, “In Line” is all about pent up energy. Just focusing on a three kick loop, he plays around with dubbed out high hats and half heard snippets of sound to create intricate rhythms and highly processed textures. Bringing the EP to a close is “Sweat” which delves deep into rhythm and sound. Centring around a pulsating, stomach churning bass loop, Bruce plays around with layers of mangled sound to build and release pressure. 

While this EP lacks a bit of the focus of his excellent EP on Hessle Audio last year, or the openness and breadth of his Idle Hands EP, you’d have to go a long way to find a more intricate and intense journey into texture and bass. His talent and imagination are second to none. Bravo. 

Grab the record HERE