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Speedy J

Loudboxer

Label: Mute

2104
_adam_ by Adam Anonymous August 1st, 2002

For all its liberal attitudes and lenient drug legislation, Holland doesn’t exactly lead by example when it comes to globe-crushing music. Rotterdam’s veteran beat manipulator Speedy J isn’t about to change all that, but at least he’s on the right track.

‘Loudboxer’ is undeniably from the boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-ba-ba-boom school of techno – to the uninitiated, every song is ostensibly identical – but an absence of variety is compensated for by throat-grabbing intensity and enough energy to power a thousand glowsticks.

The strange crossbreed of almost commercial, simultaneously dark, air-punching fodder shape-shifts into rhythmical and initially impenetrable walls of undulating bass.

From the first minute, migraine-inducing resonance kicks in and there’s little let-up from there onwards, with flowing transitions between tracks making for an atmosphere more usually located on a mix album. Indeed, for best results slap ‘Loudboxer’ in the stereo at your local dance establishment and effortlessly bluff as a seasoned turntable maestro, without a cross-fader in sight.

‘Cement’ is Two Lone Swordsmen minus experimentation, a pointer towards flimsy electronica connections that are mainly steamrollered under an infinite stream of bass.

As the reverberations of an idling jet engine go, ‘Sevntrak’ hits about Mach 3 with a mere flex of its muscles; a balls out inhibition-relaxing assault punctuated by acid gunshots. There isn’t much this side of pilled-up tribal drummers to rival it. ‘Krikc Live’ meanwhile sounds like Speedy has invited a few mates round for an impromptu knees-up.

‘Loudboxer’ is almost certainly awesome while smashed out of your brains. But then what isn’t? Sober and in the cold light of day, it competently stands up as quality hard techno, but in terms of human warmth falls almost as flat as the topography of Speedy J’s homeland. Clog-rockin’ beats, anyone?

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