Carrier is not a new act that has suddenly burst onto the scene with his dark, fast-paced breakbeat sound. Far from it. Previously known under the pseudonym Shifted, Guy Brewer has buried his old alias and turned away from the straight bass drum. A pity, some might think. But his fans needn’t be too disappointed, as the Avian founder has had plenty of time to let his techno hair down, and he continues in much the same musical vein as before. In other words, the leap from life-denying techno rollers to life-denying polyrhythmic monsters with difficult to follow time signatures is not that big after all.
The opening title track is immediately reminiscent of Autechre, whose shimmering, insectoid non-conformity Brewer mixes with metallic pounding. The remaining three tracks also sound hectic, and with their eerie mood they are ideal for the soundtrack of a horror film. »The Cusp« creates unease with its chopped chords, while »Trooper« stalks through a buzzing environment that seems alive despite its sterility. The repertoire from which Carrier draws seems artificially reduced. Where Answer Code Request, for example, gives his tracks catharsis, or Pessimist brews overwhelming club tracks from similar ingredients, Brewer seeks his salvation in manic headiness.
Fathom
