Brokenchord – Bluestar EP review

A fellow traveller alongside the likes of Dark Sky, Rustie, Vaccine, Fantastic Mr Fox and Blue Daisy, 18-year old Lithuanian producer, Brokenchord has been pushing some serious buttons with his unique blend of dubstep, hip-hop, funky and garage with a light dusting of R&B sprinkled over the top. It will come as no surprise, then, that there is a place for the young producer over at Black Acre Records. The Bluestar EP, in essence, is somewhat of a mongrel in musical terms; robust yet disjointed, melodic yet melancholy, it incorporates a myriad of references, hovering around genres, but not staying still for too long. But, much like the rest of the output from the Black Acre camp, it works. Curiouser and curiouser…

“Bluestar”, the title track of the EP, kicks off with hollow, coconut clapping beats, a throbbing b-line and haunting synths swooshing back and forth like waves on a distant shore. Wailing vocals blend in to the atmospherics, in a haze of watercolour bliss – a little nod to Guido perhaps. “With Tsunami”, in stark contrast, gets started with a build up of shuffling, ADHD-befuddled rhythms ringing with energy and irritable impatience. It’s a brilliant piece – very unique and unusual. Next up, is the dark soldier of the EP, “Lowe”, with its morphing, murky tones and thunderous, rippling bass. Undulating with vociferous fury against the encroaching background noise, the impending breakdown leads us into a lighter, airier section, with synths bouncing off one another like rays of light. Absolutely superb, and very poignant too, as the next track is entitled “Run In To The Light” – an altogether more ambient cut, with a radiating warm hum underpinning the various sonic bleeps, clips and taps which punctuate it like a well constructed sentence before it moves in to a moodier finale.

Review: Belinda Rowse