Enduser: Pushing Back
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Sonic terrorist Lynn Standafer packs a thunderous wallop on his latest Enduser opus Pushing Back. The twelve-song collection doesn't advance his signature sound in radical measure but more consolidates it, making it an ideal primer for the Enduser neophyte. Though Standafer mixes things up with vocal guest shots that push his material into dark hip-hop (“Positioned” featuring Shadow Huntaz' Nongenetic) and trip-hop (“Genesis” with Kazumi), as always it's the bulldozing beatsmithing that hits the hardest. In fact, drums are the primary instrument on many tracks as Standafer lays down simple, minimal themes that leave ample space for the intricate beat patterns to work their ferocious magic. Some cuts (“Across,” “An Apology”) fuse the aggressive attack of breakcore with the clattering mayhem of early Photek- and Squarepusher-styled drum'n'bass, and for those who missed Bollywood Breaks, Standafer revisits the territory on the massive “Switch” where swooping strings churn and an Indian singer chants alongside hammering breaks and monstrous bass roar. No one should be too surprised that DJ Hidden and Bong-Ra take the Enduser sound to an even more ferocious extreme on their respective “The Catalyst” and “Pushing Chaos” remixes—which Standafer seemingly regards as some sort of challenge, if his blistering “Pushing Back” and, frankly, hellacious “The Maker” (featuring Chemlab's Jared Louche) count as a reply. Definitely not for the weak of heart.

April 2007