After a quarter of a century in drum & bass, Samurai Music boss Presha will finally release his debut EP on 29th October. Check out the EP’s closer, ‘The Spell’, below.
While we’ve heard the odd collaboration previously, this first solo body of work firmly asserts the New Zealand-born, Berlin-based DJ’s production style as hard, fast and full of dread. Where influences like the warehouse-ready, entrancing vibe of techno, hardcore punk’s anarchic aggression, and the eerie spaciousness of dub can be found between various artists across the Samurai roster, here Presha brings these ingredients together and smelts them into four cohesive chunks of sonic weaponry.
Opening track ‘Mainliner’ steps in with upfront determination, a gnarled bassline chugging away menacingly as layer upon layer of percussion is stacked high. On ‘Vendetta’, he builds militant breaks, roaring pads and dub delay into a ferocious wall of noise. The title track is equally relentless, with eerie sirens and stuttering stabs, and final cut ‘The Spell’ stomps out an ominous ritual in industrial tones. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait so long for the next one.
Pre-order ‘RATS’ here.