Here at The Noise Gate, we aim to dedicate our little warm and welcoming corner of the web to a love of electronic music. In writing this though, I myself am slightly confused as to what this means, knowing an umbrella term such as Electronic Dance Music is no more suitable a description to cover all it entails as to say guitar music covers everything which uses the six string instrument. It’s like saying indie and heavy metal are as much alike because of the use of electric guitars and acoustic drums as minimal house and hardcore are because of the shared interest in oscillators and drum machines.
The reason I chose to start this review with such a preamble isn’t to simply rant about the frustrations of genre labeling or to increase the word count, but to understand and acknowledge there will be people who visit this site who have no interest in the music which gets me out of bed in the morning – drum and bass. For many, the assumption is the genre is simply a full on assault of bass or more recently a synth infused cheese fest, both tackling the notion of subtlety with as much grace as a bull in a china shop or Robin Thicke and the concept of consent.
So if perhaps you such a person, I urge you to expand your horizons and see the subtle, soulful and frankly mesmerising productions the genre holds. Acting as perfect introduction, Lenzman ‘Looking at the Starz’ couldn’t be more appropriate. For those who of us who already spend our time living at 175 bpm, it provides one of the best albums to grace the softer side of the scene in the last few years.
The Dutch producer, hailing from The Hague, first came to prominence with his 2010 release ‘Open Page’ featuring Riya on Metalheadz and since then he has continued to build his reputation over at the house Goldie built. His debut full length, having been in the works for over two is finally here and its safe to say it’s definitely been worth the way.
The release manages to nail the difficult act of each tracking providing a singular and excellent experience in it’s own right while at the time creating a coherent and cohesive collective to enhance the overall experience. Lenzman brings his melancholic soul soaked signature sound and fuses it with his hip-hop and jazz influences to create a piece of work which is nothing short of breathtaking.
Opening track ‘Lazy Dub’ does exactly what it says on the tin, happily rolling along with acoustic percussion and a vocal sample which encapsulates much of what is to come; the perfect balance of both happiness and sadness, introspective and extrospective. ‘Just Can’t Take’ featuring DRS, is a clear nod to the producers hip hop origins, arriving with a late 90’s raw New York vibe balanced with a rolling drum beat. It gives the Manchester MC the chance to showcase, in my view, some of his strongest vocal work to date while ‘My Tearz’ is soul influenced with a low sub bass which work in tandem to create a contrast that show’s its head consistently through the album.
‘Through My Eyes’ is a personal favourite, making great use of orchestral string instruments to create an uplifting song which can’t fail to move you. For me it perfectly captures the feeling of contentedness brought with a chilled out hazy summers day. ‘1978’ is the first interlude of the album and here Lenzman takes a break from the drum and bass. It’s vocal sample focuses on the connection between music and memories; how certain songs can take you back to a certain place and time. Anyone who has a love for music can relate and it’s another example of the melancholic vibe which runs throughout.
Heading back to the dnb, ‘Paper Faces’ is a stunning jazz influenced number. It’s soft and delicate with Martyna Baker’s vocals working to create a beautiful and mesmerising example of the combination soul and jazz can create when infused with the traditional elements of a rolling drum beat the genre is built on. ‘Move & Focus’ takes us once again to the hip hop side of things, as Dan Stezo’s lyrics roll over a brooding and low bass to create a song which tips its hat to the mid nineties Bristol sound.
Another personal highlight is Collapse’. It’s fair to say the world of drum and bass isn’t filled with reflective political themed songs but here the sample grips you with its bleak, dystopian future of humanity, as oil prices drop and the economy collapses. Backed with stabbing synths and a powerful industrial sound, it’s perhaps the track on the album which ventures most from the smooth and soulful and is most suited towards the dance floor with its heavy bass. This is even more surprising when you think about the the content the song addresses.
‘Private Eye’ features a host of sounds which complement each other over a snappy beat and almost industrial-lite vibe. The vocal sample works to create the feeling of both love and lost. ‘Its Yours’ is the second interlude of the album, with a motivational sample laced with full on soulful vibes before a rolling drum beat takes you through. ‘Always’ is another track which goes a long way to capturing the feeling of a summers day, with a warm bass line and more soul influences helping to bring the feel good vibes.
‘Burner’ as the name suggests, is a track that builds from its jungle breaks and deep bass line before switching into an epic bass heavy number of a tune. ‘Anticipate’ is the only full length track in which Lenzman strays away completely from the world of dnb. It’s a down tempo number with a deep bass, again giving the chance for Martyna Baker to shine with her vocal contributions. It’s lyrics about being ready to love again are both uplifting and downbeat, as is the theme of the album.
It’s continued with ‘Starz’, the final track on the album. The use of the piano gives it an uplifting feeling contrasted with the vocal of Kevin King, once again giving the listener the feeling of reflective contentedness before ending with a beautiful orchestral outro.
‘Looking at the Starz’ really is an astonishing achievement for Lenzman and fully gives justice to the hype his album is creating. It’s a collective and reflective piece of art which perfectly balance the beauty and sadness present in modern life. It presents you with a stillness and calmness while a chaotic tragedy is bubbling under the surface. Without a doubt of the albums of the year, whether you like drum and bass or not.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/154578386″ params=”color=fcff00&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
