Gonga

Brighton, England’s Alan Myson (a.k.a. Ital Tek) has come a long way since his early days of injecting Arnold Schwarzenegger samples into electronic music that sounded strikingly similar to Aphex Twin\'s. His 2011 *Gonga* EP is a back-to-basics take on club-friendly dubstep. Using a less-is-more production approach, the title track opens with twitchy beats blasting under what sounds like layered bongos being gradually pitch-shifted up to create a phasing effect. Minimal synthesizer parts seep in, sounding like distant jet engines, before “Pixel Haze” follows with more ambient accoutrements. Here, Myson’s keyboards are more present, flowing with fluttering rhythms that at time recall Vangelis’ 1981 score for *Chariots of Fire* until deep bursts of bass take over the tune. The more atmospheric “Cobalt” moves with herky-jerky spasms of tightly edited rhythm, where a myriad of vintage-sounding tones (mostly unaffected 808 drum machine sequences) work together like primary parts of a vintage combustion engine. The closing µ-Ziq remix of “Gonga” gets into some complex polyrhythmic patterns and delightfully dated R&B samples.

Ital Tek shows a massive shift in sound on the 'Gonga EP', inspired by the recent spate of footwork and mutant footwork that Planet Mu has been releasing, creating exit strategies from the current virus of the 90s inspired retro house fad. 'Gonga' is an extremely powerful track, rolling out weird, syncopated tabla-style drums over tough dancehall-style rolling kicks and rising clavs, building up a huge vertiginous rush of ascending synth lines that leave you breathless. 'Pixel Haze' uses deep layers of 8-bit synth and lush melodies to create a huge swelling sea over which footwork kicks and basslines roll. 'Cobalt' takes things darker and colder, with a pumping kick drum reminiscent of technoid drum'n'bass. With some of dubstep's elegant spaces, a swelling metallic sound and 808 drums it leaves a dark and oppressive feeling. µ-Ziq's take on 'Gonga' is more minimal than the original, throwing in odd syncopations, diva vocals and a more jungle-inspired drum sound, layering rhythms in syncopated patterns over the pitched-up tabla sound of the original. Altogether a thoughtful and brilliant new sound.