Released second on his co-run Doldrums label, Joy Orbison’s latest record exhibits more of his thus far uninterrupted farsightedness in two six-minute tech-house tunes: “BB” and “Ladywell.” The former is quite good, a simple crystalline 4/4 piece built of a dicey rhythm, a legato bass line that recalls, and advances beyond, AFX’s less distorted work early into the Analord series, and the sidechained chordal elements common to any such Detroit song of this fare. Here, Orbison does it best. No unneeded clatter, except for the bit-crushed vocal piece that speaks from the DJ both occasionally to the club, can be found. Without any wizardy, and bad showmanship, he plays smoothly and does what he needs do, cajoling us and granting some nostalgia along the way. After the song’s climax, one hears a shift in the low-frequency instrumentation. Briefly, Orbison reiterates his dubstep accolade. The house-chords shift in tone, releasing, filtering, then giving way.
Perhaps meant to be heard toward the end of one’s evening, the slower “Ladywell” beats over a sharp wind passing through a factory. A very analog-sounding synth plays half a bar’s worth of beauty, an almost-interlude from early Boards of Canada. A voice sings, coos. Bass and more melody builds, tones from the same old keyboard bleating foggy like the sound of a faraway train. Once the hand claps start, it’s all over. “Ladywell” is just done right. Its quiet arpeggios, the way it builds, it’s deep and cautious, and careful not to gather so much speed. It’s excellent. Orbison’s work here isn’t as boisterous as “Hyph Mngo” but it’s made of the same parts, the same fluidity. To whatever progression he’s following, he should be wished good luck. Music like this is inventive and oft-attempted. So far, he’s been quite good at pulling it off.
