If more proof was needed that there is a sea of undiscovered talent lurking around the internet, out of the woodwork comes Grinch. Not much is known about him besides that he has a background in techno and is from Connecticut, other than that he lets the music do the talking. His first solo outing is entitled “Chapter 1” and showcases some precise sound design with sounds that wouldn’t sound out of place in horror movie. In that respect the EP shares as much ground with dubstep and techno as it does with a film score. Don’t get us wrong though, this music was made for the club.
“Chapter 1” kicks everything off with bells that eventually mix with stretched horns and hi-hats creating a cynical atmosphere. Pair that with scattered kicks, which rip through the mix, and not only do you feel it in your chest, but each kick is as startling as the previous one. When we said these tracks resembled a film score we weren’t kidding. Listening to the first minute of “Genjutsu” you can picture the lake in the middle of some remote forest where the characters are going to be picked off one by one by a mysterious creature. Low, oscillating sirens noises slowly move around the stereo field, before a harsh kick stomps its way into the track. As everything moves forward hoover sounds pass through the mix from the left and right as well as odd metallic one shots.
“Pulling Teeth” is another experimental, ambient-like piece. A subby gurgle partners up with what sounds like a field recording of the wind. Slight variations occur over about 4-minutes and the overall effect is some interesting headphone music. The final track may be the strongest of the four and like much of the EP has a lot in common with the work of Shackleton and Objekt. “1:45 AM” starts off with high timbre pads similar to “Chapter 1”. Shuffling maracas are thrown in giving the track some variation before he drops the rolling kicks. What’s really nice up this is that the track isn’t a slave to phrases and seems to have a life of its own with everything fading in and dipping out naturally. Throughout the whole EP a lot of attention is paid to minute details and other worldly sound design, which by itself is interesting enough, but paired with music that works in club makes it more even desirable. It’s also nice to see some of that classic dubstep sound make it’s way into music that isn’t necessarily connected with it.
Grinch’s “Chapter 1″ EP is out now, limited 12” run.
