By: Mike Madavi
Voodeux
“Just A Spoonful” (mp3)
from “The Paranormal”
(Mothership)
More On This Album
Genre: Techno
Release Date: 6/9/09
UPC: 184254000501
Territories: World
Electronic production is a fantastic medium because it lends itself to so many different possibilities of mood, texture, and tempo. With their debut EP The Paranormal the duo of James Watts (AKA KiloWatts) and Tanner Ross (who also plays under the moniker of Marcel Wave) form Voodeux, a spooky minimalist take on electronic landscaping. While creepy, haunting electronic music has been explored in certain aspects of dub and industrial, Voodeux’s take is much more stripped down. A proper mixture of house and minimal techno, the group’s sound has been described as “Halloween on wax.” A couple of the tracks (“Just a Spoonful” and “Bones”) were released as singles in 2008 and early 2009 to much critical acclaim. Expanding their catalog to a full EP length, the guys stay loyal to the album’s concept of dark funk, ghoulish atmospheres and futuristic production.
The Paranormal features extremely high production value, showcasing Ross and Watts’s extensive experience in electronic production. Ross was a music synthesis major at esteemed music school Berklee in Boston, has numerous remixes and edits under his belt, and is a self -confessed vintage horror film aficionado. Watts is an accomplished producer with a formidable discography spanning labels like Artificial Music Machine, Harmonious Discord, Thoughtless Music and his own outlet KilloWatts Music. He has produced five full albums to date, embodying several different projects and styles. The combination of dark, horror-orientated inspiration and production mastery is unique and stylish. While the album features moments of purposeful distortion and crunches, the overall sound is surprisingly clean. Fantastic, high quality sampling is intricately lased into body grooves with precise, complex timing.
As for the songs themselves, tone and mood are paramount. The album’s opening track, ironically titled “The End,” may be a bit misleading of exactly how scary the album will be, but put that aside and they’ve really managed to capture top notch horror film tension in audio form (not to mention that album cover is not going to let me sleep well tonight…). The spooky theme continues, but the guys are careful not to get too serious as tracks like “Spoonful” feel more like Scooby Doo investigation music rather than a soundtrack to one of the Saw movies. “Skeleton Key” is a whole body experience, sending you into a deep house trance; definitely club worthy. I can’t figure out if “Enter the Voo” is a Wu Tang reference (if it is, brownie points) but the pounding bass on that track will definitely get your head bobbing.
If you’re looking for something darker, something unique, or just a great, clean, stripped down electronic album with a consistent and coherent theme, The Paranormal is for you.
“The Paranormal” (mp3)
“3rd Floor” (mp3)
“Heebie Jeebies” (mp3)
Related Posts:
Tags: Voodeux
