::Sandhog – Accent::
Sandhog’s star continues to ascend with these two deep new rockets from the Swiss producer. The bouncing, twanging bass pulse of ‘Accent’ is soon built upon by dramatic ‘80s synth-pop blasts and a plucked riff that hammers away while drenched in a spacious reverb. Soon the full glorious melody unfurls, bassline and riff chromatically descending in unison. Subtle automation gives these spine-tingling riffs more power still, and a distorted, bleeping lead cuts through the soundscape dramatically while a spoken vocal adds more colour. A dark texture blasts in the breakdown, its buzzing, detuned vibe coming across like a ship tooting its way into harbour. Brilliantly produced, this track was made for big rooms.
‘Nechama’ rewards the patient listener, with its wiggling bassline and gently swaying percussive rhythms cut through with filtered, distant synth swells that tease out the chord progression. A bluesy harmonica lick appears out of nowhere, providing organic counterweight to the synthetic tension as the percussion builds. Next, a throat singer intones a mystical vibe with a droning modulation, like a human didgeridoo. Monotone yet constantly evolving, it’s a fascinating contrast to the delightful, playful synth hook that rises from the depths and could easily be from a classic Depeche Mode or The Cure record.
