M Plant US

Review: ** FLOORPLAN REPRESS ** It's fair to say that this was one of the best Robert Hood moments in a while! Just two tracks but boy do they hit hard - "Altered Ego" is more brakey than the usual Hood bombs but he's kept the inimitable chords, all wailing and weaving their way through the beat. The real heat is on the flip however, where the nostalgic, rave-infused piano keys of "Confess" make for a certified classic! Is it Hood who influenced Shed on this sort of beat or the other way around? Who cares, it's bloody amazing!

Review: Following last year's full-length outing on Dekmantel, Robert Hood returns to his long-running M Plant label with a typically forthright three-tracker. Given that he's not released anything on the imprint under his given name since 2014, it feels like a significant release. Opener "Low Life" is certainly a slammer in the legendary producer's typical style, with a creepy, mind-altering organ line looping away over bombastic beats and a rumbling, sub-heavy bassline. "Go" is more tribal in feel despite the presence of a bleeping synth motif, with Hood adding and removing different percussive elements throughout to keep excitement high. As for flipside "Clocks", it's dirty, druggy, alien sounding and insanely weighty.

Review: Any new Robert Hood single is cause for celebration, but particularly when the release in question contains cuts as strong as this one. A-side "Reflector" is loopy and forthright, with Hood using swirling effects and subtle manipulations of a repetitive, big room-ready riff to increase intensity throughout. It's perhaps a little different from his usual heavy, stripped-back fare, but that's no bad thing. In contrast, flipside "Rotate" is classic Hood style minimalism, with warped acid lines, twisted bass and layered percussion creating a driving, mind-altering late night mood. There are slivers of melody, too, but these are sporadic and subdued in comparison to the rest of the Motor City's maestro's musical elements.