Zoid – Kick the Drum 003

Not a review, this, but a preview (ooh, get me) of Kick the Drum 003, on which KTD bossman and FAT Collective geezer Zoid comes loaded for bear with two absolute bangers. One of the most interesting producers around, Zoid’s always been something of a restless ideas man, and if on the downside that means his tracks can occasionally sound a tad overloaded – Positive Therapy, I’m looking at you – then when he gets it right, the results slap you upside the head. And on this release – for my money one of his best – they do. They really do.

Atmosphere would rock even if it was just about the drums. They boom and roll, like the distant sound of an approaching mek squadron. Never a man to shy away from a vocal sample, he’s used a film quote, but it’s buried inaudibly deep in the mix for a change, more for ghostly texture than to boss the track; while finally, a nightmarish carnival organ sound punches the tune into top gear. The result is, in a word, whoosh. In two, fucking whoosh.

Next Door’s Cat repeats Atmosphere’s trick of being funky, tribal and hard, with seemingly endless circular riffs repeated throughout a mix that’s busy but not crowded. I haven’t forgotten to mention the acid, by the way. There isn’t any. Yeah, that’s right, bitches, there isn’t any: this is pure techno. And the fact is, there aren’t many producers making it with this kind of funk and melody at this BPM, which is all the more reason to forget about the Diamond Jubilee and hang out your bunting for this instead. How good is it? How good? Ingrid good.

Get it from: 909 (eventually, release date not yet confirmed)

Zoid – SUF90908 (Stay Up Forever 909)

Cat no: SUF90908
Release date: 19/05/11

Contract
BPM: 145
The F.A.T Collective is well and truly bringing it this year: A.P’s Scythe Squadron tunes have been peerless (Can’t Get Enough probably the year’s most-reached-for track), Kick The Drum has announced its return to much online rejoicing and now the estimable Zoid releases this: two sides of 303 workout for SUF909. Having said all that, and at the risk of slightly contradicting myself, it’s not an especially strong release. The first side, Contract, is my least favourite. A stout kick lifts us off and at 1.03 a voice introduces an acid line that weaves its way in and out of the drum for the next five minutes but ­never really does anything interesting. Great for DJs, the breaks come with plenty of drum rolls, but on the other hand also add to the air of hoover that hangs over the whole thing. All right for some, perhaps. Not for me.

Riot
BPM: 140
Like Contract, Riot has a vaguely retro feel to it, but the sound is simultaneously trancier and more organic, and thus preferable (to these ears at least), plus there’s a great flutey break at around 3.30, featuring a motif that plays through the rest of the track. It lifts the tune, no doubt, but not quite enough to make it essential. And the funny thing is, neither of these two tracks is anywhere near as strong as the – count ’em – six tracks given away for zilch and nada on the recently rejuvenated Kick the Drum’s Soundcloud page. These are free for you to download and trust me, you should. Pick of the crop is Zoid’s own Panic Attack, which uses a Goodfellas sample and packs a filthy kick, while A.P.’s 9bar goes for full-on screechy 303, Distek’s Praktikal does funky tribal and The Badger’s It’s Not Rock ’n’ Roll, It’s Acid uses a weirded-up sample of John Lennon (I think) to superb effect. All told, there’s about eight quids’ worth of free tunes available – uncompressed, too – and they’re all outstanding. If Kick the Drum’s proper releases are anywhere near this good, then we’re in for a treat.