Rod Modell - Incense & Black Light

alternating_bit, Jun 17, 2008

Rod Modell continues to be a master of his signature sound without rehashing old material. For those that have an ear for this dubby, dare I say Basic Channel-esque sound, youll recognize a refined sophistication in "Incense & Black Light" that resonates the perfect marriage between lush ambience and dubby chords. As the main man behind the original, somewhat anonymous Deepchord vinyl releases Modell certainly deserves to have his name in the foreground of this essential release.

One quite noticeable difference with "Incense & Black Light" is the overall tone. Modell has released many warm, dubby and even loopy tunes in his day, but this album definitely exudes a darker, haunting feel. "Temple," for instance, with the eerie shriek that keeps panning from right to left, surrounded by a warbling ghostly hum is spooky yet still dub-friendly with the uninhibited kick drum stabs and innocuous bass-line and eventual metallic chords. If there would be anything negative to say about this release is the tracks could be longer. With an average run time of 6 minutes, it seems somewhat a tease after being accustomed to some Modell 12"s that run in the 11 to 14 minute range.

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