Staff Reviews

FaltyDL - You Stand Uncertain

Review by Noel Gardner

FaltyDL’s heritage is not found in Plumstead towerblocks, and he’s right not to try and emulate it too much. »

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falty dl's soundworld has evolved in giant steps on 'you stand uncertain'; from the very beginning the listener is plunged into his new focus on layered dusty atmospheres. opener 'gospel of opal' is also his first work with a vocalist, in this case anneka. although at times it's anchored in the familiar basslines and rhythm science of uk dance, as heard in his previous material, on this album it's clear that drew has also been soaking up some of his native city's musical past such as disco, house and hip hop. with this in mind the album moves at different tempos - the ghosts of dance music past are evoked but never allowed to take over, giving the whole album a decayed, dreamy abstraction that allows for comparisons with the current crop of 'chillwave' producers, were it not for the tight drums and basslines. check the way 'the pacifist' passes between passages of melody and waves of synth over distorted breaks, or 'open space's use of slowed down rave euphoria and double speed 808 drums. the crisp 2-step of 'brazil', the first of two songs featuring uk-based singer lily mackenzie, sweetens the atmosphere, followed by 'eight eighteen ten', which builds watery melodies over chopped up breaks. the album gets slower still with the steamy, bittersweet melodies of 'it's all good', then the spaced-out title track 'you stand uncertain' marks a mid-point and a breathing space, before the album gears up with the ravey synths and jungle percussion of 'lucky luciano', the slow burning stripped down house of 'voyager', and on into the duo of abstract 2-step tracks 'tell them stories' and 'play with my heart', before the tempo drops for the final track 'waited patiently' (again featuring lily mackenzie), which combines chopped vocals with jazzy piano keys and a punchy technoid melody.
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