Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans started The Future Sound Of London project with The Pulse E.P. in 1991, and with the series’ fifth instalment, the duo hark back to their beginnings. Containing “previously unreleased DAT tape material from the early 90s” from their many aliases, Pulse Five is a serious reminder of what made the two leftfield luminaries of the scene in the first place, fittingly landing on De:tuned for the label’s 15th anniversary. Drenched in the sounds of the club, the LP liquifies acid techno, drum and bass, and vigorous electronica into amorphous yet even more banging strains.
Dense rainforestry of technoid breakbeats tosses us straight into the deep end on ‘Honesty’, with percussion and gongs hewn from ancient stone and bronze, as the trees part for the light of epic, ethereal synth loops. ‘Dialectics’ continues exploring that space where reverent textures meet highly explosive beats, dipping piano chords in acidic distortion and sporadic reverb throws. Bringing in the duo’s equally praised Mental Cube name, ‘Big Lie’ boasts dynamic and deliciously experimental club music meant for loud speakers and anthemic moods.
The razed, imperative, and urgent pace of ‘The Nu Generation’ enters a darker sequence in the tracklisting: sirens whistle and blare as the rumbling ruckus storms onward into ‘Ostinta’, a detail filled jungle delving into the LP’s murkier underbelly. We rise back up into the clear azure floes of ‘Reasonable Aquiries’, a brief downtempo respite before kicks break the sound barrier, leaving reverberant sonic booms and chirping gales in their wake.
The Future Sound Of London presents yet another release brimming with curious rhythmic machinations on Pulse Five.
1. The Future Sound Of London - Honesty (6:25)
2. The Future Sound Of London - Dialectics (7:55)
3. Yage - Sun Risen (4:23)
4. Mental Cube - Big Lie (4:19)
5. Smart Systems - The Nu Generation (4:36)
6. Indo Tribe - Obstinta (5:31)
7. The Future Sound Of London - Reasonable Aquiries (9:22)
8. Yage - Man Shall be Conditioned (4:53)
9. FSOL - Slumbers (3:33)
10. Smart System - Adeeaa (2:38)
11. FSOL - Slow Driver (4:08)
12. Indo Tribe - Ne-on (4:46)
13. FSOL - Lifeless In Limo (3:52)
14. Yage - Over Zealous (3:47)
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