Young Dro Carey has been making quite a name for himself this year. Following a release for Templar Sound and then one for Hum + Buzz, not to mention the hot-off-the-presses (and decidedly chirpy, by his standards) remix for patten, the Sydney producer has returned to Templar Sound for the “Night Raid EP”.
Opener “Scanline Skin” starts things off in sinister fashion, with off-beat minor chords setting the tone for an EP of unease and discomfort – it’s two minutes before a beat kicks in, and when it does it snarls and rasps with fizzing tension. “Oval Neon” is a short melancholy vignette that offers a respite from the unrelenting pace of the other four tracks. That is before “Gravity Pagoda” comes in, clearly on some head-nod shit. Overflowing with vicious grooves, this track keeps its sliding synths and snarling bass brief and to the point, lasting a mere 160 seconds. DJs, loop that shit.
“N.R.” is bookended by ominous police reports and uses walkie-talkie recordings to increase the tension already imbued by the hardcore rap-slash-dubstep tempo – this track would sit alongside Waka Flocka as comfortably as it would to Skream et al. “Movable Fortress” closes things out in straight-up 4/4 fashion, with beats almost reminiscent of Grown Folk’s “Uptown Shuffle” (also on Templar Sound, spotters), but in direct opposition to that track’s soothing melodies. A distorted voice sporadically shouts “REAL“, offering a comforting refrain against those shuffling drums and synthetic strings. In short, the EP is twenty minutes of lovely menace that’s sure to keep dancefloors busy.
To accompany this release, we have a new Dro track called “Zero Field” to give you. IDM synth lines, forward-reverse beats, acid basslines, rattling hi-hats and shimmering chords give light to the darkness Dro described in his recent Resident Advisor feature. The double-time claps that perforate the track give it an unsettling yet energetic edge that only adds to the excitment. Enjoy this one, and then go cop the EP and take a look at the video for “Movable Fortress” after the jump.
[wpaudio url=”https://truantsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Zero-Field.mp3″ text=”Dro Carey – Zero Field”] (320 kbps)
“Night Raid EP” by Dro Carey is out now and is available digitally from Boomkat and Juno Download.
