Rustie - 'Bad Science' (Wireblock)

Although filed in the Dubstep section of many record stores Rustie’s sound seems to hold more in common with the low-slung sounds of Atlanta strip clubs than with a sound synonymous with suburban London and Bristol. What Rustie does have in common with a select few ‘dubstep’ producers, most notably Joker (with whom he recently collaborated with on ‘Play Doe’) and Zomby is a forward thinking outlook fuelled by a love of underground electronic and video games. Rustie's eclectic, off-kilter sounds is difficult to pin down with his own term 'aquacrunk' being used liberally to describe his diverse sonic offerings.

At times new E.P. ‘Bad Science’ sounds like the theme music to a secret level in Sonic 1- one in which Dr Robotnik’s minions are replaced by metallic strippers. Opener ‘Tar’ effortlessly melds the Southern beats of Drumma Boy (T.I., Rich Boy, Young Jeezy) with hypnotic, pitched synths- over which Rustie layers multiple cut up samples creating a audible blow to the senses. It’s uneasy, yet stimulating listening.

Title track ‘Bad Science’ has seemingly been around for months thanks to live airings from a plethora of dj’s including Kode 9, Wireblock head-honcho Jackmaster and Kiss Fm’s Sinden. Again, Rustie employs wind up samples and bleeps over 808 kicks before launching into a, quite simply, huge drop which speaks not of sweaty, underground clubs but of main rooms. Put simply; it’s rave fodder in its purest form.

Although evocative the futurist sounds employed by Rustie need to be put in some perspective. Though original Rustie’s sound clearly has one foot firmly lodged in the past; owing a massive debt to late 80’s and early 90’s video games and early techno. In this sense Rustie’s music is a continuation of the principals of ‘space music’ first alluded to by Juan Atkins. Furthermore, it may be suggested that this E.P. acts as part of a growing trend towards ‘futurist revisionism’ or a modern reinterpretation of cultural movements musically expressed by a diverse cannon of artists including the Bellville Four and the second wave of Krautrock acts, throughout the 1980’s.

The reanimation of futurist principals and ideas comes full circle on the E.P’s flip-side which sees Heinrich Mueller (Drexcyia, Dopplereffekt, Arpanet etc) drafted in to remix Rustie’s ‘Zig-Zag’. Mueller’s work is synonymous with fusing the glacial template of Kraftwerk with a technological approach to music production. The result is staggering as he produces an eerie, hypnotic slice of experimental hip-hop.

Whilst title track ‘Bad Science’ suggests that this E.P. will be an exploration of the more club friendly side of ‘aquacrunk’ as a body of work it serves more as an example of the ever evolving closeness between experimental and mainstream electronica. Although Rustie employs a range of obtuse and unconventional samples throughout ‘Bad Science’ it remains a thoroughly enjoyable journey through experimental hip-hop; proving not only extremely listenable but challenging and greatly rewarding.

Check out 'Bad Science' here