Twirl vinyl

Having been crazily prolific throughout 2011 with a double LP and countless 12"s and remixes to their name, Swedish duo Skudge seem to have elected to take a curatorial role of late with their Skudge Presents offshoot. The series began in excellent fashion late last year with Mini Mood from the Edinburgh based producer Stephen Brown, and it's clear the label is going to maintain those standards with their forthcoming releases. Skudge's compatriot MRSK is first up opening with the ruggedly excellent "Twirl" which wraps burrowing metallic textures of sound around granite heavy rhythms that jostle uncomfortably in the steppish space between outright techno and more broken patterns. The inherent nightmarish scenario posed on the A Side is complemented by the liquefied slickness of "Pinkman" which sees a ghost deep in the machine attempt to have its voice heard amidst the pressure of a constantly upwardly shifting rhythmic flex and some wonderfully Utopian arpeggios. With forthcoming releases due from October and Aardvarck, Skudge Presents promises to be a considered highlight of 2012.