Detrimentalist

I've long been a fan of Venetian Snares, a breakcore artist from Canada, real name Aaron Funk. He probably wouldn't like to be branded "breakcore", but pretty much anyone who listens to breakcore knows about Venetian Snares. If you don't know what breakcore is, there's a fairly good documentary on Google Video, about half an hour long, available here. Contains strong language. In the documentary, the breakcore artist Hrvatski (yes, that does mean Croatian in Croatian) characterises breakcore as "anti-dance music", "fragmented", "abstract", and "dance music you can't dance to". With regards Venetian Snares, Bong-Ra calls him a "crazy genius".

So, I was quite pleased to get a hold of Venetian Snares' 20th album, Detrimentalist. The record label claims it is "disgusting ejacutronic rave horn from Aaron Funk, a return to the energetic early days of Jungle." Recently, Snares has been doing more orchestral music than pure breakcore, as characterised by Rossz Csillag Alatt Született (2005) and My Downfall (Original Soundtrack) (2007). However, Detrimentalist is more like Cavalcade of Glee and Dadaist Happy Hardcore Pom Poms (2006); harder breakcore with acid and jungle elements. Thankfully, Detrimentalist is a lot better than Cavalcade..., `and is perhaps one of my favourite Snares albums to date.

Blasting open the album is Gentleman, a fast-paced breakcore sound in 7/4 which immediately sets the scene and lets you know who you're listening to. With a cut-up KRS-One sample, Snares simultaneous disses "fakecore" producers and establishes the album's stylistic mood. The second song, Koonut-Kaliffee also helps set the scene, a darker, brooding feel. With a dominating sample from Spock in an old Star Trek episode (Amok Time, in case you're interested). The track's name is a reference to a Vulcan marriage ritual. The slow, almost grinding progression of this track (it's in 4/4 (I think), so feels a lot less frantic than the first track) helps a deep sense of panic underlie the music.

One touches the other in order to feel each other's thoughts. In this way, our minds were locked together, so that at the proper time, we would both be drawn to Koonut-Kaliffee.

True to the record label's promises, the third and fourth tracks, Sajtban and Kyokushin are silly jungle-inspired breakcore pieces, replete with ridiculous synth-lines, 90s piano rave riffs, chipcore breakdowns, acid synth melodies, and inane samples. Eurocore MVP, in true junglist tradition, throws in some reggae samples, before punching a silly synth- and bass-line at is and then dropping into the compulsory cut-up Amen Break we've all come to expect and love.

Poo Yourself Jason, the sixth track, is probably the album's weakest. A sniffling little beat accompanies some IDM and 8bit distractions, and the whole thing reminds me of Snares' 2002 glitchcore album Winter in the Belly of a Snake. This is followed up by the bouncy 7/4 classic jungle-homage Circle Pit which I have mixed feelings - can't quite decide whether I love it or hate it. In so many ways, it's a classic jungle track, but it's been cut up and "Snaresified" - with lots of fun on the way. I'm just not sure whether it works as a piece of music. As an experimental foray, however, it's pretty damned good.

Track number eight, Flashforward is in competition with Poo Yourself Jason for the prize of the weakest track. Not because it's technically bad or not in-your-face enough - it's actually pretty good for that - but it's just not very enjoyable. I don't find hard acid with Amen samples and glitchcore breaks very listenable. It doesn't feel structured enough - I know this is an odd thing to ask for on a breakcore album, where structure is eschewed, but there's no common thread running through the track. I think a lot of Snares' tracks on Meathole (2005) suffered from this.

I like Bebikukorica Nigiri, because it reminds me of chiptune artists I'm fond of (like Oddioblender and Sabrepulse). The track is entirely 8bit noises, with the exception of a rolling breakcore drumbeat behind it. Not an instant classic, but it instantly finds its way into your heart. A warm track to come home to. The album finishes on track ten, Miss Balaton, which features ambient and orchestral elements. Slow, pondering, and wistful. Not panic-stricken like Koonut-Kaliffee, but melodic and considered. The drums eventually come in at 2:49, glitchy little beeps and chirps, serving as a support to the pensive ambience. The track reaches a climax before consuming itself in its own greed, leaving a gentle aftermath where the track fades out, and the listener can reflect on the album.

This album is loud and aggressive. It does what it sets out to do and doesn't let you have a rest. The tracks that aren't so good are thankfully buffered by better tracks sitting between them - this does unfortunately give it a bit of an up-down feel. I can see this album being in my regular circulation for quite a while. It offers a refreshing break from Venetian Snare's less inspiring breakcore efforts (and of the "fakecore" producers who set out to mimic his style), while still being hard and edgy enough to be considered "true" breakcore of its own right.