Luke Vibert – Ridmik
If you’d set out your electronic music predictions for 2014 last December, it’s fair to assume that Luke Vibert releasing a new album on Hypercolour wouldn’t have been one of them. On first glance, it certainly looks like an odd pairing. Vibert is, of course, a man renowned for taking eccentric turns – a producer just as likely to drop an album of drill and bass, revivalist jungle or eccentric rave-inspired hip hop cut-ups as a set of smooth, Metro Area-inspired electronic disco or intense 303 acid experiments. As for Hypercolour, their reputation has largely been built on pushing club-friendly blends of deep house, tech house and UK garage. There have been plenty of club hits since 2006, but few albums; in fact, this surprise full length from the Cornish producer is only the label’s second artist album. That said, Jamie Russell and Alex Jones’ imprint seems to progressively be widening its remit, and if whispers are believed we could be in for more surprises in coming months; either way, it would be fair to say that Hypercolour is finally coming of age.
So what of Ridmik, Vibert’s first album under his given name since 2009’s We Hear You on old pal Mike Paradinas’ Planet Mu? For starters, it’s very much a Luke Vibert album. While that description is surprisingly vague – a problem all reviewers face when faced with Vibert recordings, given the sheer depth, volume and variety of his output since the 1990s – it’s certainly fitting. Ridmik sounds wholeheartedly like a Vibert album, and largely explores familiar themes, most notably the ragged 303 acid that’s become a hallmark of his work, and the smooth, synthesizer-led deep electronic disco previously offered up under the Kerrier District alias.
In essence, Ridmik is an acid house album. Although Vibert plays around with tempo and feel – contrast the swinging jazz rhythm, winding synth melodies and Kerrier District chords of “Six Eight” with the loose Chi-town swing of the formidable “cs303” and hip hop-goes-Metro Area loveliness of “Stabs of Regret” – for the most part Ridmik bumps along on a wave of tracky 4/4 percussion and stripped-back drum machine grooves. This is most evident on the riotous intergalactic throw-down “Proper Gander”, woozy chords and pulsing 303 lines of “Overstand Me” and undulating electronics of “Double Dipped Acid”, though the trademark 808 handclaps, snappy snares and tinny cymbals of Chicago’s early acid pioneers can be heard throughout.
Where the album really comes alive, though, is in those moments when Vibert’s love of alien funk and space disco comes to the fore. Wisely, the Cornishman bookends the album with two stunning examples of this; the R&B-tempo electro of the sensual title track – a hazy combination of head-nodding, foot-tapping 808 percussion, gently bubbling acid and deliciously tactile chords – and triumphant closer “Vortek”. This latter track romps along in a jaunty 808-electro style, but its bobbing and weaving 303 lines contrast beautifully with the sparse but warm vintage synth chords and stargazing melodies that provide the track’s melodic focus. Think Kerrier District, Egyptian Lover and DJ Pierre thrashing out a track on the International Space Station, and you’re close to the kaleidoscopic effect. While these two tracks are hard to beat, there are two further highlights that nudge Ridmik closer towards greatness. There’s “Acage”, a brilliantly playful excursion into jazz-funk/acid house fusion that comes blessed with some excellent freestyle scat singing and a wealth of rush-inducing melodic touches. Equally memorable is the beautifully constructed “Acrobot” – all deep acid, swirling chords and wonky alien melodies.
Ridmik is, then, a very good album, but it’s not jaw dropping by any means. Vibert rarely makes poor tracks – his compositions are functional at worst – and there’s little here you can really pick fault with. That said, the Cornishman’s reliance of the distinct sound of the Roland TB-303 means that listening to Ridmik on constant rotation soon becomes a wearying experience. Listened to sparingly, it sounds superb; a remarkable voyage into the world of acid disco in the company of one of electronic music’s true mavericks. It comes highly recommended – as long as you choose your moment to whack it on the stereo, of course.
Matt Anniss
Tracklisting:
1. Ridmik
2. Stabs Of Regret
3. Six Eight
4. Acid Jacket
5. Acrobot
6. Acage
7. Overstand Me
8. CS303
9. Proper Gander
10. Double Dipped Acid
11. Vortek