Drum and bass is a style of music that reinvents itself at the bat of an eyelash. An unintended consequence of the scene’s reliance on 12-inch singles has been a lack of longevity on releases. DJs dispose of the latest vinyl cut or MP3 as quickly as they were picked up. At the other extreme, the album format is something many artists are reluctant to even think about, let alone take a stab at.
Most consider Goldie’s 1995 full-length debut Timeless to be the first successful album in the genre. A handful of noteworthy full-lengths have followed: Roni Size/Reprazent’s New Forms and Commix’s Call to Mind come to mind. But if writing an album is hastily approached or sports lofty ambition with flawed execution, it gets scrapped to the dustbin faster than a DJ will retire a flash-in-the-pan 12″ single.
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Lenzman’s got feels
This explains why Dutch producer Lenzman spent two years crafting and perfecting has long-awaited debut album Looking at the Stars. Slated for release on Goldie’s Metalheadz imprint later this month, the album paints Lenzman’s entire musical heritage onto one tidy canvas, with every color heralded by measured brush strokes.
Looking at the Stars as an album is more than just a batch of DJ tools or the latest crowd-pleasers. The title track encompasses the vocals of Martyna Baker, Steo, MC DRS, and Dan Stezo in a format that embraces verse-chorus-verse over the all too familiar drop-break-drop. “Just Can’t Take” and “Move & Focus” marquee Lenzman’s early hip-hop influence, while “My Tearz” and “Paper Faces” show a more personal and emotional side.
Lookin’ sharp, Lenzman
The album also highlights Lenzman’s signature sound on tracks like “Always,” “Lazy Dub,” and the haunting “Collapse.” They emphasize the rolling breaks and moving melodies found on many of his well-played singles released over the past decade on labels SGN:LTD, Soul:R, and C.I.A. The record is rounded out by several downtempo interludes and the closing piece “Anticipate (Final Stop).”
Without even having much of a background of Lenzman’s upbringing I still feel I have an understanding of his life story through this album, especially from a musical perspective. After hearing several cuts from the LP played while visiting Fabric in London, it was clear that I’m not alone. It may have taken a decade of releasing 12″ singles to get to the point where Lenzman has attention of both the average clubber and the serious listener, but the wait was definitely worth it. I sense Looking at the Stars will be Metalheadz most celebrated release of 2014.
Purchase dat ish: Right here
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