"BRISTOL DNB RUFFAGE / STEALTH BOMB
As the text message from the artists to label reportedly said – ‘We’ve got something fuckin’ naughty for you mate’…
Pessimist & Holsten on a mad one for Hotline – two darkside tear-outs channeling the spirit of Horsemen era Hardware and cranking it up a few notches.
The first appearance of D&B on the label and jheeeze was it worth the wait. The pedigree here is not to be underestimated – Pessimist, Holsten and Clarity have been crafting their own respective takes on D&B on labels as diverse as Blackest Ever Black, Exit Records, Droogs for over a decade.
Pessimist & Holsten link for ‘The Riot Tune’ in two contrasting versions – backed up with a remix from longtime sparring partner, Clarity.
Howling sirens bleed into clarion call synth stabs set an appropriately dank tone for the A side before dropping the heavyweight payload of rolling breaks punctured with serrated edits. A Cantakarous, peak time hardware for those who like it ruff. Let’s not fcuk around here, this is the type of gear that’s capable of bullying Messiah, and that’s saying something…
Type 2 strips the original right back to the bone and flips it into a vortex of filtered drums and atmospheres, crafting a track that is deceptively simple and devastating in the mix.
Clarity is on remix duties for the B side – turning the original inside-out and blazing for 7 minutes in an almost trance-inducing roll-out which whips the elements from the original into a high pressure ride filled with the crucial paranoia and dread.
No surrender, no retreat. Absolutely deadly this one."
