Album Review: Shadetek & Rupture

Solar Life Raft is an interesting document of where electronic music is currently, where it's been, and where it's going. The album, which will be released in November as a mix, and separately as a compilation of ingredient tracks, features collaborative tracks and remixes from Shadetek and Rupture, a tasty pairing that blurs the lines between dancehall, dubstep, electronic beats and more esoteric, experimental styles. The remixes are Brooklyn-centric, featuring re-worked tracks from Gang Gang Dance and Jahdan Blakkamoore, among others, as well as an intriguing cameo from poet Elizabeth Alexander.

The end result is hard to define. It's got more energy than a lounge set per se, but wouldn't quite tear up a dance floor. The set ebbs and flows, like any good mix will, although occasionally some of the choices confound expectations, and what would seem like a good spot to build further comes crashing down into ambience and dada-esque sound poetry.

I just discovered that when I dragged the album into my media player of choice, the tracks weren't entered in the correct order (always tag your material properly). I only realized it because I went back to saw the proper tracklist, and realized it was nothing like what I'd been listening to. I guess I take back some of what I said about the mixes, although, I'm slightly more perplexed by this new track order, the proper one...too much denouement.

The blend of Stagga's "The Bad Dance" into Babylon System's "Get On Up" is one of the highlights of the mix though (listen below), and makes me wish that the latter half of the album contained a couple more aggressive blends.



The argument for picking this up in ingredient form rather than the mix is that the originals and collab remixes are really nice. The Lion Dub and Shadetek remix of Blakkamoore's "Long Road" is chainless, as are the two Shadetek/Rupture originals, "4th Story Waterline" and "Underwater High Rise" - both minimal, contemplative, tightly crafted downtempo tracks that wander between hip hop and a loose interpretation of dubstep.

Overall, it's a quality Fall release, particularly if you live somewhere where there's a proper autumn, because it's definitely a cool weather mix. Mellow, but pulsing. A soundtrack made to be enjoyed with a certain briskness in the air. A little dark, a reminder that the sun will go down earlier and earlier until spring comes back.