Arp 101 – Flush review

With heavyweight support from such musical luminaries as Dam Funk, Mary Anne Hobbs, Benji B and FaltyDL, Arp 101 – the alias of D&B producer Alix Perez – first came onto our radar last July with his debut 12” on Alexander Nut’s revered imprint, and later with his remix of Starkey’s “Paradise” from the Space Traitor EP. Employing a warm, woozy, synth-drenched sound, Arp 101 successfully blends gradations of funk, R&B, house and dubstep into a beautiful and unique sonic sketch. Now he returns in 2011 with this glorious follow up Flush EP.

Any devoted Benji B fan will be familiar with the title track by now – a delicious electronic venture with enticing arpeggiated melody, shuffling house rhythms and clicking beats. Erring on the experimental side, Arp 101 lays down a warm, analogue sound, deftly building layered textures which swirl around one another – immediately drawing comparisons to Rustie’s Sunburst EP with blankets of synths wrapped around intricate sonic patterns.

Continuing the journey, aptly named ode “Korg’A’Tron” is another characteristically synth-laden piece. An evocative spaced out intro leading into a bass heavy tune, reminiscent of Joker’s iconic sound of “Tron” and “Purple City”, with that intoxicatingly dark undercurrent, hissing crackles and crunches and sumptuous velvety b-line forming the backbone of the piece. Rounding the EP off with the exclamatory “Ac!d”, it’s all nocturnal electro-funk for the finale in the manner of Jimmy Edgar, with a touch of that multifarious Night Slugs sensibility. Glitchy, wonky and screaming with funked up panache, its bubbling psychedelia and infectious groove make it an essential dancefloor staple for the future.

Belinda Rowse