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Modu - Odyssey - Cause4Concern Recordings / C4CDIGUKLP008

Writer's picture: Nakedbeatz MusicNakedbeatz Music

Now a veritable mainstay of the C4C roster with several years’ worth of EPs on the label under his belt, Bristolian DJ/producer Modu has consistently proven his credentials as one of drum and bass’s most technically proficient craftsmen, marrying up cutting-edge sound design with an enviable knack for melody and rhythmic precision. It’s fair to say, then, that conditions are ripe for the release of his debut album: Odyssey, a sprawling ten-track exploration of drum and bass’s most immersive soundscapes, lands 3rd March via Cause4Concern Recordings, and it features some of his finest work yet.


Weaving together rich tapestries of synthetic strings before slipping into an altogether darker arrangement of slick percussion, vocal snatches and snarling low-end, Odyssey’s jittery opener “A Head of Two Minds” is an apt encapsulation of everything Modu is about, foreboding the brooding sounds to come. “Airwalker”, which ensues, employs garbled synths and a chugging, metallic counter-rhythm to result in a sleek, atmospheric stepper, while the dreamlike roller “Fallow” lightens the mood, its delay-soaked motifs enveloped in a bed of lush pads and acoustic drums. Upping the ante once more, “Hoover Under the Sofa” is a triumphant showcase of Modu’s technical prowess; densely programmed and packed with boundless grit, it even flits from conventional techstep into half-time rhythms, toying with the listener in an exhilarating way.


Up next, “Horizon At Large” pares things back once more, favouring sparse synths and rumbling sub-bass, while “Let Your Soul Sing”, which ushers in the second half of the LP, fuses reverberating vocal ad-libs with pummelling bass, a beguiling juxtaposition of the yin and yang of Modu’s sound. “Read My Lips”, too, leans into this theme, with sublime violins and woodwind leading into another rug-pull moment as they’re substituted out for mottled basslines, dystopian foley sounds and industrial snares. With its old-school techstep stylings, the cantankerous late entry “Shallow Copy” seems to pay homage to Modu’s musical forebears, while “Spend the Night” shifts the gears, its honeyed topline and jazzy brass leading into a silkier - albeit equally impactful - drop. Concluding Odyssey is “Swing State”, a nifty little arrangement dominated by urgent slap bass which showcases yet another skill in the West Country producer’s arsenal. All in all, it’s the perfect introduction - or, indeed, reintroduction - to one of the scene’s most exciting exports right now. Tune in.






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