Headman (2) - It Rough

Some neat weirdo electronics on Headman's debut, IT ROUGH. Some funk, some strangeness -- definitely an artist who's operating with his own deck of cards. The title track, "It Rough," scuttles and warbles in both its vocal and instrumental versions, while "Touch Me" drives forth on its bass. "Relish" starts with a sample from New Order's "Confusion" but stakes its own realm with the addition of what sounds like a zither and some trip-hop beats. "Trying" has a spaghetti-Western guitar strumming accompanied by some processed baritone vocals. The funk rhythm and filtered melodies of "Up" burrow into your skin like scabies, while "Find a Way" is slightly more restrained than the other tracks. In a world where too much techno sounds too much like other techno, Headman manages to find his own path: gotta give him props for that.