mike gervais: swell

Three originals and two tool tracks all from label boss Mike Gervais. Many cut from the same cloth as release five. All good things we think. Elegant Restraint leaves the element stack slim and the sonic field open. Backed by a thumping kick and sputtering resonant basslines while familiar machine hats shimmer in and out. A distant synth stab brings the stereo breath into temporary view as the track steadily marches on. Title track Swell give us more energy and pace than our A1 cut. Delayed synth dribbles chase each other around a heavy handed kick while one percussion element after another comes into play. An early string gives us a peek into what's coming before being chased out by stumbling syths and sharp clap patterns demanding your attention. Swell builds to a peak and breaks back into its heads down mode. One more energy push before she fades out just as she came in. Fist brings high energy pumping push-pull shuffled kicks and cutting synth stabs throughout the duration. A sonar ping rolls in and out of heaving kicks and synth notes while variations of hat percussion keep the energy moving. A mid track shift is anchored by film noir strings and unexpected slaps from the demanding kick all just to throw you back into the heaving shit when the build breaks. The energy and pummeling slow as the strings come back and walk us down to the finish. The tool tracks start out with a useful delayed and twisted vocal loop. Defense System features slowly oscillated filters and delay parameters ensuring a loop useful in many states. The Time It Takes is a swirly three element tool driven by a heavily delayed midrange percussion sequence. A shifty synth line and hats slink into focus before slowly dispersing, leaving us with tapering elements somersaulting over each other

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