Peverelist and Kowton, who happen to be two of our favourite people, have joined forces again for Hessle Audio’s first record of the year. Both artists hail from Bristol and are known for their unique perspectives on dubstep, house, and garage. This will be Peverelist’s second time working with Hessle Audio, his first being one of 2011’s inescapable tunes “Dance Til The Police Come”. On paper it looks like a convergence of water and fire with Peverelist’s relatively quiet year meeting Kowton’s lively wax output but whether they are working together or with Asusu as Livity Sound, their work is sure to cause low-end ruckus. This brings us to “Raw Code / Junked”, the first of which made an appearance in their brilliant live show last July.
Stream: Pev & Kowton – Raw Code (Hessle Audio)
“Raw Code” is a seamless blend of their individual styles; Kowton’s minimalism shines through as Pev works his love for sounds resembling wind instruments. The drums are so poignant and deliberate and although at this point it feels as though we’ve heard every bassline possible, this one keeps us on our toes waiting for its next appearance. “Junked” starts of with a sound that we’re sure we’ve heard in a horror movie (or Home Alone) before weighty kick drums bring us to our senses. Yet again they’ve put together a syncopated beat which thrives from how the sparseness of the track. Building on the sound that was teased in the beginning, they bring in wailing effects that help give the track a little pull and push it beyond a beat track. Their use of reverb goes a long way too by creating snares and hi-hats with interesting and clean snaps. This is a great counterpart to the A-side and something people will look to as they wear out their ears on “Raw Code”. As many artists move toward other genres and formats in the world of house and techno, these two show us there is still room to grow and experiment within the loose confines of dubstep while taking bits from other areas of music.
Stream: Pev & Kowton – Junked (Hessle Audio)
Pev & Kowton’s Raw Code / Junked is available on Hessle Audio.
