Great Stuff signing Butch had occasionally caught our attention with his productions this year, but nothing not make us really sit up and go “blimey!” This debut album however, reveals a multitude of his different musical personalities and shows that he’s a very diverse and talented producer.
The Table kicks things off with mellow, soft, seductive tones – deep, resonant, haunting bass tones glide underneath a jaunty, darkly-tinged techno synth riff, gently swung, slight percussion, and later subtle little counter-riffs hidden in the background. About This Time rides softer yet similarly melancholy organ keys and deeper, warmer bass, while Wet & Tight heads into techier climbs, with softly-spoken Detroit stabs, crunchy handclaps, before unleashing a big rousing piano arpeggio out of seemingly nowhere. It’s this contrast between deep yet groovy soundscapes and organic, unexpected melodic elements that typifies this album and gives it and irresistible edge.
Amelie continues in this vein – an album highlight led by a jauntier-still, jazzy Frenchy organ refrain and chugging shakers that recalls Stimming’s maverick approach to deep, instrumental house music. Before things get too warm and pleasant though, Ein E rears its murky head – full of whomping bass, trippy, hollow minimal melodies and generally filthy sounds. Osiris is in a deep yet melodic techno vein until its Booka Shade like synth refrain gets all big and nasty, with some spooky white noise style sounds and big reverbs ushering it towards a more intense place.
Jazzy Belle is another of the strongest and most memorable points – a sorrowful, soulful organ chord melody kicks the track off with minimal rhythmic clicking beneath, before the throbbing monotone bass kicks in with a plinky-plonky, delicate synth line that’s trancey in essence. Kaleidoscope Eyes reveals yet more breadth to Butch’s style, with icy, judderman chimes twinkling, ethereal, howling synth shrieks and a ploddy, spacey beat – recalling Trentemøller in his more chilling, delicate moments.
Bad Weed takes into a low-slung, hypnotic rumble of a groove, all cool proto-fidget beats and finger snaps and hollow bass, before Julie Marghilano’s stunning violin playing cuts through the moody, reverberating depths of Soultan. Butch then decides to show us that he’s still entirely capable of the filthier, more full-on moments that we usually associate him with – moving up a gear into the head-spinning minimal techno grit of Gag Ball Roll, and the self-explanatory squelchy pounding of Something Called Acid. Then just as you finish convulsing, bonus track Sand emerges with its incredibly soothing, loungey deep deep deep house warmth and wave-crashing-on-beach-type sounds to round things off in an immaculately lush manor. Simply gorgeous. And then right at the very end, a beautiful little acoustic guitar solo, just to remind you of the general theme of the album.
This is truly one of the best album’s we’ve heard all year. Diverse, classy, innovative, and with plenty of groove to make most of the tracks work as well on the dancefloor as on a home stereo. The contrasts between electronic and organic, soft and hard are perfectly balanced, and we think Butch deserves to become a big star on the basis of this debut LP. Essential purchase for any fans of deeper house and techy business.
Click here read our interview with him and to listen to the album.