Chapters

By: King Roc
Label: Process Recordings
Written by: BenGomori
Rating: 9/10


I do miss the King Roc of old. Around 2004/2005, he was making incredibly powerful, darkly euphoric electro that was packed with big, atmospheric hooks, and I for one was a huge fan. In recent years, the man otherwise known as Martin Dawson has impressed with his deep house moniker Two Armadillos (along secretsundaze’s Giles Smith – who gets a thanks in the credit for opening his ears to new music) - but under his usual nom de plume, there’s not been much for me that has reached those early heights. 
 
The “maturing” of a producer’s sound can often be a woeful thing – all too often translating to a boring loss of youthful exuberance and energy. Fortunately with Dawson’s debut album, his talent shines through and makes for an engrossing experience. Random Chances begins as an exercise in ambient, treacly dub electronica, but suddenly morphs into a deep, atmospheric cut of rolling techno. The structure and mood recall Underworld – no bad thing. Lunar People comes across like UNKLE on a drum & bass tip, Phidas Gold not far off with its typically Lavelle-like sorrowful string stabs, swelling mood and ominous tones.
 
The Growing Phase illustrates his skill at crafting luxurious, graceful moments of laidback beauty – although the panpipes on Flow are an ill-advised addition to another otherwise very lush track. On the other side of the coin, the old skool trance synths and brooding bass on Everything From Nothing remind us his dancefloor sensibility is still intact, with the riotous New-Order-on-speed mania of Discover #1 an epic call to arms that gets the adrenalin pumping vigorously.
 
As with Underworld, it’s largely that lack of distinction between downtempo, more home listening style and the mechanics of dancefloor grooves that make this work so well. This more freeform approach to production gives the album a sense of unpredictability – rather than just splitting the tracks into “up” and “down” categories. And perhaps I’ve referred to other reference points a bit much – but Dawson definitely wears his musical heart on his sleeve, taking on these British electronic music greats and giving his own spin on their distinctive ways.
 
It’s an absolute success – a future classic that demands repeated listening and an intimate discovery of what lies within. Dancefloor killers are few and far between, but when it sounds this good, I can’t say I care too much.