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Album review: Levon Vincent's self-titled EP
House | Friday 13th March 2015 |
Hugely influential New Yorker and Novel Sound boss Levon Vincent has dropped his long-awaited self-titled debut LP, and in true subversive fashion, announced its arrival by leaking the full free download himself via social media. But is it worth checking out?
The album has what might be an initially surprising start for those more familiar with his blistering DJ sets; both 'The Beginning' and 'Phantom Power' meander through an obscure electronic landscape, which contrast sharply with third track 'Junkies' on Hermann Strauss’s relentlessly driving heavy bass thud.
This austere atmosphere is lightened with fourth track 'Launch Ramp To Tha Sky', a full 11 minutes of more easily digestible Four Tet-esque xylophones set against a danceable beat slowly building up to a futuristic climax. All these dramatics are tamed by the following track, the memorably minimalist yet sentimental 'For Mona, My Beloved Cat'.
However, the full out club-suitable tracks are saved for the last quarter of the LP. 'Anti-Corporate Music' is at once a steady techno slow-burner for the early hours and a political statement; Levon Vincent wrote in a Facebook post about the project “This is music for the ugly ducklings of the world… If you're a member of the rat race…you may of course listen, but know—this is not music for you. This is action against you."
The real climax of the piece, however, is final track 'Woman Is Angel' (presumably in opposition to his 2008 hit Woman is The Devil), whose floor-shaking, techno-cello, thudding bass line and shimmering metallic echoes are certifiable dance floor ammunition.
Levon Vincent’s debut has achieved that rare combination, taking things a little weirder without it feeling self-indulgent, whilst still providing moments of dance floor techno gold. Maximum respect for the free download too!
Levon Vincent Facebook
Words by @MiriamEJohnson
