British producer SLACKK is back with R&S label after half a decade of activity elsewhere, and it seems that his latest EP, Backwards Light, is something of a homecoming for both him and the record label.
Stand out track ‘Posrednik’ is an audio homage to R&S’ most famous alumnus, Aphex Twin. Posrednik apparently translates from Slovenian as broker, ie someone who buys or sells goods for others, an arranger, a negotiator. Slackk embodies the broker on ‘Posrednik’, a track that is clearly indebted to Aphex Twin, borrowing and rehashing sounds from his predecessor then marketing them for an updated grime-appreciating audience. Slackk’s a middle man for millennials intrigued by early 90’s sounds.
Slackk’s use of the Roland TB-303 electronic synthesizer is another homage to the original acid house scene of the mid-80s, which saw DJs experimenting with the 303 and its defining ‘squelching’ bass sound, favoured by Aphex Twin et al. Take a listen to Aphex’s song ‘Isoprophlex’, from 1991, and then listen to ‘Posrednik’ – there’s an uncanny similarity.
Although his sound is certainly not the most relaxing or easy listen, there’s a lot of musical technicality and historio-cultural nods weaved into the jarring onslaught. It’s not simply a throwback imitation; Slackk is creating futuristic grime that simultaneously sounds like the soundtrack to Bladerunner and something you’ve never heard before.
Backwards Light EP is released on June 1 via R&S records.
Words by Katie Rowley
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