Artist: Solieb
Title: Halo / The Drums
Label: Maschine Ltd
By: Chloe Harris | 1 April 2007
Tracklist:

• A: Halo
• B: The Drums

Solieb "Halo / The Drums"

Maschine Limited is a new offshoot from Oliver Lieb's highly acclaimed Maschine label. It has been set up to release darker, deeper, weirder more experimental backroom sounds. The first release is none other than the man himself laying down an epic dosage of clicks, pops, and bass swimming in deep space.

'Halo' is a fantastic song for layering and mixing, but left on its own it has a wicked emptiness that draws you in. The bumpy beats, scratchy high hats and cool metronome-like toms bounce together building a good drum kit, but it is once the bass drops that the song really gets moving. Huge shuffle booms cut through the beats while a strange stretched synth filters in and fades away opening up the depth. Sci-fi synth bits and computer chip noises add a bit of humour as they swing through picking up pace before fading away into the heavy bass. A shrilling yet slightly pretty synth rings in the beats and synths to come back after a short very minimal halt, to begin its decent to the end.

'The Drums' is a strangely cool clicky micro house cut with analog pops, treated vocal samples and a large encompassing bass. The beats are simple with just a kick and few highs since the focus has been placed on the warbling bass and the squishy pops and snaps. Vocal samples accompany the pops and snaps, highly treated with slicing razorblade effects which all fades away into just a minimal kick. Creepy metallic synths pleasure the background, while a huge scooping bassline steps in for the first time. Massive warmth comes from the bass which rides along the drums engulfed in liquid effects setting into another good groove. A clever 80's Detroit electro vibe is felt from the new claps and cool high hats. The vocals, clicks and pops soon find their way back into the mix which calmly fades back into just a kick drum.

These are two seriously interesting tunes from Oliver Lieb. The experimental approach works well and for what Halo and The Drums lack in club floor mayhem, they make up in intricacies and depth.