Rustie is experiencing a groundswell that hasn’t really let up since the Glaswegian released his full-length debut, Glass Swords, on Warp in 2011. With the producer’s manically and maniacally brilliant Essential Mix for BBC last year, the words “world” and “domination” didn’t seem too far out of the question. The two tracks that comprise his newest release, an upcoming 7″ for Numbers, very much find Rustie staying the course with his sugary 8-bit day-glo, drop-heavy bass mutations, but as A-side, “Triadzz” is especially a testament to, the Glaswegian delights and exceeds at subtly subverting expectations, offering up physical and tactile pleasures rather than just leaning on the dopamine-peddler dynamics.
“Triadzz” has its anthemic, syncopated synth blasts, but when that climax hits instead of blowing up it clamps down on the shuddering, bruised Hudson Mohawke-esque low end, letting the compound fracture snares and peripheral drum rolls do the talking while siren-like synths kinda hover over it all. The real highlight comes after the 2nd build-up, the synths spreading like a neon concussion wave while the rough-hewn kicks just throttle the whole thing.
“Slasherr” was the first track of the two to find people’s ears and with its more straight-forward and immediate design, not to mention its apparent ubiquity in DJ sets at the most recent South By Southwest, it might steal all the attention away from “Triadzz.” Instead of subversion, Rustie just gives us what we want with a grinding, nod-your-head-off, almost power-chorded crescendo. The track burrows its way into some synthetic steel drums near its middle with a gooey, widescreen synth melody, but it’s just to fill time until that climax hits again. And, damn, does it hit.
