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Music Review A musical exploration of the Scottish Space port idea

Hyperdub's courage and ambition continues in safe hands, suggests SIMON DUFF

Kode9
Escapology
(Hyperdub)

STEVE GOODMAN, aka Kode9, is head of Hyperdub, the highly influential South London record label whose artists include 700 Bliss, aya, Burial, Nazar and OKZharp.

Kode9 has released four albums for the label, the previous being Nothing, from 2015. A futuristic corporate hotel concept backed by influences from grime, early dubstep, UK hardcore, Chicago footwork and hypnotic science fiction movie sound design.

Goodman strives to link the intellectual political debate with a cutting edge club dialogue. Comparisons with Factory Records, Tony Wilson and the sonic work of its pioneering record producer Martin Hannett are not out of place.

Goodman is also a writer and his book Sonic Warfare explores the use of sonic weapons by the military, among other topics. It won plaudits across the board when it was published in 2009 by MIT Press. He is a member of the Warwick University-affiliated Cybernetic Culture Research Unit.

The album concept for Escapology explores ideas around a possible Scottish Space port location and design. A site in Scotland along with one in Wales and Cornwall are currently in the planning stage to become Britain’s first spaceports.

Scotland is the best place in the UK to reach in-demand satellite orbits with vertically launched rockets. Spaceplanes and other space transportation can be launched at a number of aerodromes around the UK, each with their own individual geography and local infrastructure.

Kode9’s concept called Astro Darien a work of sonic fiction, was first shown in 2021 at a two-week audiovisual exhibition installed at Corsica Studios in south London. The work was also shown and as a multi-channel 50 loudspeaker set up at the invitation of INA GRM in Paris, the institution founded in 1951 by the musique concrete pioneer Pierre Schaeffer, composer Pierre Henry and the engineer Jacques Poullin.

Escapology opens up with Trancestar, a 54-second promotional advert for seemingly a philosophical space game. The music stems much from a Roland 909 hand clap chiming ring tone exploration. Elements sped up and slowed down from grinding synth composition, voice over to the fore.

Next up The Break Up, a dubstep, jungle inspired fusion. Acid basslines working around distant pulses then into a weaved watery layered ending.

Toxic Foam takes the listener into further unknown territory. Winding round alien water phone effects into b-movie horror explosions, bleeping drum machine rhythms, Staccato chords held, then quick release times deployed.

Orbex is a 40 second Scottish Spaceport voice inquiry. Angle of Re-Entry slows the tempo considerably. At four minutes 24 seconds the longest track on the album, melodic angular basslines lead at the start, giving way to looped high pitched snares, Kraftwerk inspired synth arpeggios onto a glorious mix of synthetic industrial jitterbug confusion.

On Freefall Goodman utilises mysterious church organ ideas over further sci-fi horror movie influences. Think Blade Runner 2049 Hans Zimmer meets future German minimal techno over pro-independence Scottish debate on frozen rain lashed wastelands. The tempo slows to a near crawl on Sim Derien. Highly melodic, ambient inspired, mysterious, brimming with Enoesque intent. Another highlight is Astro Darien, a one minute eastern influenced slice of mellow drama.

Lagrange Point ups the tempo and mood. Psychogeography at its core, a volcanic drum & bass rhythmic intent builds through space and time over phased voiceovers. Docking evokes raves held on the surface of Mars, the distant voices of revellers slowing in haunted desperation.

The album highlight is Torus. Full of Vangelis and Burial influences. Hypnotic, naive and intensely rhythmically interesting.

The album closes with T-Divine, hidden voices drifting through alien-like chords. Simple ghostlike synth pad patterns slow in eternal drift mode. Then a childlike voice appears, distanced in the mix, confused into an abrupt ending.

Classic Kode9. Hyperdub’s courage and ambition continues in safe hands.   

 

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