The forever restless Kevin Martin (The Bug) has been a consistently innovative presence within base culture for a number of years now and whilst he is known for his heavy sounds and sledgehammer volume, it has been the more ambient and contemplative releases that he has been serving for the last few years that have helped showcased yet another side to his personal journey through sonic exploration. Now, teaming up with Germany’s sound system graduate Michael Fiedler (Ghost Dubs), Martin has co-authored an album that feels like the next evolutionary step in Dub sounds and riddim culture.
The first, and it could be argued the most important, factor in approaching Implosion is that as a listener this requires a level of patience. This is not an album that sets out to reveal its secrets straight away as it is an album that sounds like the wandering ghost of another project haunting its creators. Stylistically raw and often hollowed out, Martin and Fiedler trade messages from the spirit realm leading to an album that is as equally beautiful as it is unsettling.
From the skin-crawl crackle of Martin’s ‘Believers (Imperial Gardens, Camberwell)’ to the cyber-skank of Fiedler’s ‘Into the Mystic’, Implosion keeps you wondering what could possibly be coming next. You may spot genre traits you are familiar with but often the songs get turned inside out so you’re looking at the past/future, the distant signal finally reaching from another dimension. The way this album impacts you is all down to the producer’s incredible ear for details. Sonic textures are introduced and stripped away with nothing but a desire to create the ideal atmosphere. Listen to the percussion march that provides the momentum for ‘Dread (The End, London)’ or the way the cyclical melodic hook grows and fades on the stunning ‘In The Zone’ and you will understand that what you are listening to is the sound of artists fully stretching themselves and daring the listener to follow. It makes sense that the album was mastered by someone also well versed in innovative bass culture, Mr Stefan Betke (otherwise known as POLE).
Implosion is a flickering candle. A shadow at the end of the bed. It is the sound of compatriots pushing each other into breaking new ground. Implosion is haunting, gorgeous, evocative and truly hypnotic. It is the sound of watching a horror film when you were too young. You want to look away but you can’t as the adrenaline and curiosity insists on keeping you locked into the experience. This may just be the greatest electronic album of the year.
All words by Simon Tucker
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