After five long years exploring the wilderness of his own musical cosmos our blessed Bristol wayfarer Culprate returns.
‘Others’ is a near album sized booty of loot that’s dynamically, emotionally and musically up there with his evergreen ambitious crowdsourced album ‘Deliverance’: Culprate at his most eclectic, zero-f*ck-giving and inventive and narrative. Right down to an arrangement perspective, this is just as a satisfying experienced as a full body of work just as much as it is teasing, throttling and tickling folk up in the dance.
‘Alpha’ sets the tone. An opening beatless salvo pinning us into our chair, locking us into the floor. It bleeds into a ‘Inside’ a yearning two-step sojourn into the corners of Culprate’s most emotional psyche. He follows with ‘Jelly & Ice Cream’. Every bit as tasty and sugary sweet as its title, it’s a wobbly nod back to his glitch riddled past but with added gnarls and switches so sharp you won’t need to shave for weeks, maybe even years.
Elsewhere ‘Helter’ is all coaster and no roller; wild junglisms and wily breakcore fracturisms tap into Culprate’s earliest roots while staring down the barrel of a 23rd century kaleidoscope. ‘Subsonics’ follows; rampant technoid D&B, it’s your own personal intergalactic bank robbery getaway soundtrack for when your life takes a turn for the worst in 2058. Don’t worry, the space cops never catch up with you.
‘Beast’ brings us back to reality and marks the eventual long road home. A safe space where lilting dreamy plucks float softly over a well tamed growl and there’s a tangible twang of jazz in the air before ‘No Words’ stops time with its powerful vocals, harmonies and balearic ebb and flow. Finally ‘At The Gates’ closes the body of work with touching poignancy and a trippiness that could be no other artist but Culprate. The crowd chants, the pianos echo, everything you’ve heard and loved throughout this half hour trip is brought together neatly, addictively, infectiously. The table’s still broken, your heart is still melting, you press play again…
[Source: Inspected]