For about a year now, Liverpool production
duo Drohne have exhibited an ear for
ambient, sinister soundscapes. You might have caught them at a number of shows
around the city already, not that you would have known it, as Luke Mcculloch’s and Richie Craddock’s hood up, head down
approach to stage presence finds them revelling in uncertainty.
T.M.R
(The Mother Road) and Suppression, two early tracks available on their soundcloud are
unsettling introductions, with anxious vocals swallowed by cloudy, saturated textures.
These songs are almost wrenched in sorrow, displaying that kind technological
dread that commands your attention whilst still leaving plenty to the
imagination.
An early standout comes with the grooving,
meandering single Soul-Jo, where the
faint residue of a baseline lingers beneath a patter of synths and static. You
can’t exactly hum the melody, but you can certainly trace it, leading towards a
more humanising atmosphere, eventually allowing McCulloch’s vocals just enough to space breathe during those affecting
final moments. It’s probably the closest we’re going to get to danceable for Drohne right now, maybe even ever, but
its still filled with enough open ended responses to suggest that they aren’t
quite ready to give themselves over just yet.
Liverpool’s well of exciting producers and
DJs is proving especially bottomless at the moment, as Drohne join the likes of GhostChant
as flag bearers for a city creeping closer towards Manchester as a genuine sign
post for new UK electronic music.
Drohne’s debut EP is expected sometime early 2014, as they continue to
develop their sound through their live show. With support slots for the likes
of Factory Floor and Giraffage nailed already this year
though, you won’t have to wait very long to catch them yourself.
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