Character Assassination

REVIEWS:

Fantastic industrial laced seven inch release from Jason Snell. Betrayal starts out with something that recalls those alien, metallic squeals that trains spit into the night and then it winds into a droning broken beat number. It sits around 175bpm, which places it comfortably into that magic zone where you can use it to flesh out minimal hardcore or add spice to drum'n'bass (although the latter will probably require some sensitive work on the eq). Character Assassination fills up the other side and it's a slower cut with snapping percussion and weeping choral sounds adding moody depth to the cut. Only real complaint is that it's simply too short.

-DJ Fishead (Northern Hardcorps, Massive Magazine, Activated Magazine)

After an off-kilter release on Eupholus under his own name, where straight rhythms and clean sounds were the order of the day, Jason Snell returns as Bombardier with this 7" single. This time, all our preconceived notions are satisfyingly fulfilled; everything is here: the hard beats, the rough, distorted basses and synths, the mechanical atmospheres and forensically clean production.

There are only two tracks on this release, one per side, "Betrayal" on side A and "Character Assassination" on the flip side. The former is a slow, grinding groove through seven inches of overdriven basses and screeching metallic samples. Like a noisier version of Scorn, the track is punishing through its sluggish pace, letting every beat or bass note achieve its full impact.

Restraint is also the key to the second track. With a less distorted beat and rhythmic electronic blips, it seems as if it will be a much lighter piece than its predecessor. However, once the bass kicks in, there is no doubting this is one of the heaviest slices of sound out there: a resonant, clipped monster of a sound, the bass throbs and squelches its way through the track, while a beautiful, tinkling melody lightly plays over the top, giving the listener a floating air to latch onto amid the chaos and relentlessness of the rest of the track.

This is a very cool little slice of vinyl; even its relatively brief length is not a detrimental factor, as these tunes almost demand repeat listening. I am certainly looking forward to hearing more from this artist... if my woofers can take it.

-Gavin Lees (Immanence)