DJ Food
Quadraplex
Ninja Tune
If Kaleidoscope was the Food duo’s homage to kitsch and sampladelic funk, then this four-song EP must be the menacing, evil twin resisting suppression or throwaway treatment. The first two tracks emanate one long, icy drone where tones fluctuate underneath hypnotic, lo-fi drum chaos. Veering in a completely new and chilling direction, Strictly Kev and PC seem to have let the fun take a back seat to unconscious experimentation.
The experiment gets dangerous with timestretched beats and rattling digital gurgles by the time “Monocle” gets underway, releasing a destructive electronic force usually reserved for Aphex Twin or Richard Devine. But the shimmering, cold tonalities resurface to calm and soothe on “Shattered Glass,” but concludes Quadraplex a bit too abruptly. As if the beast had awakened for a minute to release a horrific wail, then returned to hibernation, this EP adds a most interesting, but brief chapter in DJ Food’s evolution. It’s not as solid as most Ninja Tune releases, but good enough to uphold the label’s rep of keeping listeners on their toes.
Ninja Tune Records, 1751 Richardson, Suite 4501, Montreal, Quebec H3K 1G6; http://www.ninjatune.net
