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Batu - Numen / Cazz

Hotline Recordings

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>>Warehouse find, plain sleeve copies of this long out of print gem<<


Up next on the Hotline -
Big, Bad Batu steps forward with two A-Grade dancefloor weapons, stealthy and hard-hitting cuts from one of Bristol's most fresh-faced producers, presenting two trax from the dubplate vaults for the 7th plate on Hotline Recordings.

In the break between his Livity release and the excellent ‘Domino Theory’, Batu refined further to a unique fusion of fractured techno structures and panoramic sound design that offer a deeply unsettling experience when encountered at the appropriate volume in a dimly lit club. The first Timedance record has been one of our favourites for quite a while now, truly forward thinking dance music that is filled with the enticing sense of dread that is integral to the hardcore continuum.

‘Numen’ and ‘Cazz’ first surfaced about a year ago in the selections of Tessela on Radio One and Ben UFO on the Hessle Audio show on Rinse, opening with a wailing war-cry before plunging into a crushing arrangement of distorted kick drums and shuffling hi-hats that almost disguise some very crafty edits and the subtle textural shifts which keep this ruff yet hypnotic track moving along at a rate for its 7-minute duration. Rufige Kru-esque drums and Trace & Nico-indebted atmospheres are twisted into a new take on dancefloor darkness that is comparable to the likes of Rhythmic Theory and Tessela.

‘Cazz’ on the flipside is a slab of serotonin-depleted UK funky, reduced to ashtray grey rhythmic structures you could once hear banging out of radios tuned into the likes of Rinse FM in 2008. The sparkling melodies and anthemic vocals of many funky classics are nowhere to been seen on the B-side, however. Batu instead pushes the drums up front and adds his own blend of idiosyncratic percussion to the mix, leaving a bare bones riddim that is as catchy as any vocal track. Infinitely danceable and a track that will get stuck in your head for days.

Hotline 007 is a blend of darkside signs and signifiers, offering some reference points for ears to latch onto while pushing the sound forward, not dark for dark’s sake, more a highly accomplished exploration of tried and tested sonics retooled for the now.

You know the deal, don't be late!

Edition of 550, vinyl-only.
Packaged in a folded Pantone A2 poster, designed by Studio Tape-Echo.
Black centre labels, gold hotline sticker.


Mastered by Lewis at Stardelta.