DJ Teebee* - Black Science Labs

stevekeiretsu, Jul 08, 2004

blacksciencelabs in two words: absolute masterpiece.

its that sadly rare thing in drumnbass: a true album with a coherent vision and vibe throughout, that demands to be listened to in its entirety, and never tires with repeat listening. from the opening seconds of "spaceage" teebee establishes an atmosphere that is exactly that - space age. clinical, clean, starkly futuristic, technoid, twisted, spacious, claustrophobic... in teebees hands, the common science-fiction obsession of dnb is no cheesy affectation. The album carries a deep, dark vibe with genuine emotional power, truly immersing you in his dystopian future.

And it is thanks to teebees skill. a brilliantly subtle album, the musicality and memorability of the sparsely arranged tracks grows on you over time. but the production stands out from the first listen and never ceases to amaze. Id argue that teebee is one of the finest engineers/technicians in drumnbass and this album is stunning proof. As a producer, the clinical precision of the drum sounds, the tight beat programming, sculpted bass events, and perfect mixdowns just make me weep!

Some argue this record is photek warmed up. I have huge respect for photek, and can easily recognise teebees undoubted debt of influence to photek. But I think this is a ridiculous claim- teebee takes elements of photeks style, but takes them further, executes it clinically, drenches it with his own powerful sense of mood, and comes out with a classic which I think he deserves full credit for.

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