EPROM / Eskmo: Hendt / Lands and Bones
Warp

The double A-side twelve-inch Hendt / Lands and Bones spotlights the work of San Francisco-based electronic music producers EPROM and Eskmo (aka Brendan Angelides). Tailor-made for fans of artists like Flying Lotus, Kode9, and their ilk, both cuts are head-trippers in their melding of high-end synth blaze and low-end bass pulsations. EPROM's “Hendt” spits arcade fire in its blend of lazer synth melodies and dubstep-inflected thump. Hold on tight when the bass kicks in, the synths flutter, and the groove digs even deeper into its neck-snapping headnod. In a surprise move, the song vanishes for a moment halfway through before barreling back with the same ten-ton force with which it rolled out. Eskmo's “Lands and Bones” slinks and lurches, its dubstep pulse arrested by a hiccup in its rhythm before the icy drawl of Swan's soulful voice lends the track added stability. Both tracks are fresh but, if forced to choose, I'd give first prize to Eskmo for enhancing his track's lustre with the sultry vocal.

April 2010