Dark Arts Of Dub EP review - InPress
InPress, Melbourne.
Reviewed by Tim Finney in the Zebra Singles column:
Victor X-Ray: The Dead Walk/Dark Arts of Dub
Played at a different speed, Victor Xray's productions would probably be mistaken for a product of the UK's dubstep scene - what with their lugubrious atmospherics, dub bass and trenchantly clattering electronic beats. Instead, this EP is more like deeply uneasy listening: Australian Scot McPhee wisely rejects the easy languidness and cod-spirituality of most homegrown takes on electronic dub, instead opting for a compulsive hyper-vigilance that belies the otherwise torpid tempo. McPhee's sonic clarity can be pretty compelling at times: check the zither-like skittering beats and orchestral hits on highlight Bellweather Beaten, or the mindboggling interplay of chimes on the grim skank of Dub Forever International. But the home-listening angle maybe undercuts the music's value somewhat: it's hard to know what how to respond to Xray's almost militaristic spareness and precision if you can't move your body to it.