Customer Reviews

Everything All the Time

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let's face it, drum n bass has paid its dues. The eager, accelerated breakbeats that sprinted out of the early-nineties UK hardcore scene represented a drastic and unexpected shift in tone for electronic music. The infancy of drum n bass was a simple and brilliant stage, a surge of energy and tempo that married the rave and the dancehall in a gasp. Fast-forward a few years and bear witness to the awkward childhood of the genre, in which the unified community of drum n bass splintered and ventured off into a series of different camps, from the bass-heavy euphoria of jump-up to the woozy atmospherics of LTJ Bukem's Good Looking sound (for a while, a subgenre unto itself). Faced with the Great Divide of the late nineties, in which the Denizens of Brutal Rhythm faced off with the Wise Elders of Atmosphere, some of the most ardent lovers of drum n bass grew tired of the schism. Drum n bass suffered a massive exodus, with DJs, producers, and (most crucially) fans wandering off in hopes of finding the spark of originality and risk that drew them to the sound in the first place.

With this, his first artist album, Pieter K takes that risk -- with fantastic results. Encompassing abstract drum n bass (with actual working, head-bobbing beats!), deep vocal-tinged techno, and mindbendingly dubby house, Everything All The Time manages to be an essential lesson in What Drum N Bass Means. So much time has been spent by producers in proving drum n bass' formula of tempo and arrangement that even the most creative talents in the genre today seemed unwilling to step outside the format in an effort to nourish the sound. Pieter, instead, brings the production values of drum n bass (among them, broad bass tones and natural snares) to otherwise foreign speeds and formats. So successful is he in this attempt that even the deep house of Natural Light Remix (one of the standout moments on an already outstanding CD) feels as "drum n bass" as you can get -- in some ways, the track seems truer to the original spirit of the genre than much of the newest jungle emerging from the UK camps.

Besides sharing a common, decisive production value, the tracks here all feature an intimate beauty that frames the conviction of the beats with a clarity of emotion that is sorely lacking in so much contemporary drum n bass, even (or perhaps especially) in the Creative Source and Defunked outposts of the so-called "Liquid Funk" sound -- ostensibly the "soul" of modern drum n bass. The difference is apparent in the vocals, the phrasing, the fundamental intent of the composition. The yearning, bittersweet joy of "It Could Have Been You" makes generic soulful tunes seem, quite honestly, ham-fisted and insincere. A single hearing of the unbridled bliss of "All Things" made me realize that I hadn't heard ecstasy (an emotion i had quite forgotten after a long relationship with the pill of the same name) in drum n bass for quite some time. Pieter K's music has a soul that is earnest, raw, and profoundly human. In years of listening to breakbeats, I've never felt anything like it.

There is a prophetic feeling to Everything All The Time, a sort of Eureka moment in which the listener realizes that finally, after years of falling in love with all these drum n bass tunes, they're hearing real music for the first time. It's as if drum n bass suddenly went and grew up, decided it was worth realizing its potential, and called all its wayward children home for a good long cry. With this album, Pieter K sets off what may be drum n bass' first true revolution, holding the music to a musical and artistic standard that few artists before seemed to believe it could attain.

Now first keep in mind that I NEVER write reviews, despite how great a product is, but this is the exception, I really feel like I have to say something about this one. I am a huge fan of the Drum and Bass scene to begin with, and I'm ver picky about which songs I listen to. When I first heard this cd I just about died and went to heaven. I'm very used to having a repetative driving beat continue for hours at a time, but not Pieter K. He keeps it unique and clean by creating drum rhythms that actually sound plausable and interesting with off-beats, and consistent changes in rhythm. I have to honestly say that after a long session of listening to Dn'B, as much as I thrive on it, my ears tend to get tired of the same beat punching through, but I've listened to this CD day in and day out without even thinking twice about it. I've got an extensive collection of Dn'B cd's and every now and then I find taht diamond in the rough, and this blows them all clear out of the water. Now, if you're looking for somethigh that'll give you pure raw addrenaline, this might not be your best pick, but if you're looking for something with a unique driving beat that's perfect to drive to or even just listen to at home, this is your best pick, stop looking :)

How did he know to blend my two favorite types of music, Aphex Twin and DnB? No, seriously this guy is a crazy serious artist who can make some great drums harmonize perfectly with some neat-o electronic sounds. It is sweet, but if you are looking for dance tunes, well... look at someone else on BBS.

If there was a button that eliminated the syncopated snare drum riffs that fill this album, I might be able to enjoy it. Everything else is fine, not overwhelmingly great. How did it get such glowing reviews? Perhaps I am out of the loop or not doing the correct drugs.

Your mileage may vary...