- With this being the tenth release for the Bristol-based Punch Drunk label, started by Tom Ford AKA Peverelist to reflect what's occurring in the South West dubstep scene, there surrounds it a certain amount of expectation and trepidation that comes with hitting double figures on wax. Couple the anticipation heads will have after the slew of excellent releases on Punch Drunk, most recently Gemmy's glorious "Bk 2 The Future," with the fact that Skull Disco, a similarly diverse label, just called it quits after exactly ten 12-inches and you've got a whole heap of presales and forum fodder right there.
Even though "Clunk Click, Every Trip" does feature a pummelling flurry of sine wave pulses, it's not the bass pressure that this cut focuses on. Instead, it's the colourful layers of synthesizers and playfully pitched percussion that you can't help but latch onto. Letting his rhythm build steadily with the opening riffing, the machine whining of the secondary hook evolves the track further upwards; building up the tension through a tight bout of flange until the primitive '80s shimmer-synth smothers the drums in its delay.
The flip, "Gather," indulges Ford's dubbier side. Lolling around in its own echo and punching through with its warm soundsystem spanning bass, the track is a subdued creeper that's guaranteed to worm its way into your limbs. Ford consciously lets the inconspicuous stabs of melody pierce the mix oh-so subtly, creating an enviable feeling of buoyancy.
Like Skull Disco, Punch Drunk succeeds because of the risks it takes. Ford's newest is a perfect example of how experimenting across two sides of vinyl—"Clunk Click Every Trip" for its naggingly catchy techno pulsations and "Gather" for its sublime low end and measured subtlety—can both work well in their respective fields and sound like something new altogether.
Tracklist A Clunk Click Every Trip
B Gather