- Visit the Hemlock Recordings website these days and a very simple legend has been tagged onto the domain name at the top of the browser: bass music. Since 2008, Hemlock has been the house—well, dubstep and bass in truth—that Jack built. That's Jack Dunning, of course, co-partner with Andy Spencer at the label. Dunning, AKA Untold, has spent the past couple of years concentrating on A&R and empire building, putting his own solo musical career on hold in the process. It's paid off with Pearson Sound, Breton and James Blake all passing through Hemlock's increasingly hallowed halls.
Untold's return to the studio is a two-tracker of atmospheric bass-driven techno/techno-driven bass music which hints at an early musical diet consisting of healthy doses of old skool jungle. "Motion the Dance" is the more strident effort of the pair, bristling with a pent-up desire to deliver bass so dirty, prickly and energetic that it might cause mild injury. After an extended intro of kitten-soft pads it does just that, attacking like a jar of very angry wasps. "Luminous" sits on top of a muted samba rhythm, fed into by shimmering synth phrases and, ultimately, distorted osmium-heavy bass straight from the Metalheadz inventory. That's the good news. The better news? We've still got Parts 2 and 3 to come.
Tracklist A Motion the Dance
B Luminous