Saturday, May 16, 2009

Peter Van Hoesen - Attribute One


Few upcoming producers have as high a strike rate as Peter Van Hoesen. The Belgian artist's Time 2 Express label might as well come with a "buy on sight" sticker, and his releases for Lan have been of a consistently high standard. What's most impressive about his music is his ability to sound utterly distinctive and forward thinking while using what sounds like just a few elements. Sure, there have been comparisons to the Berghain sound—the residents regularly chart his work and Norman Nodge even delivered a superb remix of Van Hoesen last year—but in understanding and appreciating his work, it would be as instructive to point to Peter's sound design work for theatre and mixed media as well as his deep understanding of techno's past.

Theorising aside, "Attribute One" builds on all of these influences and even makes a nod to the dubstep shuffle. A moody bass that seems to constantly ebb and flow, sometimes more intense, often less so, is joined by skipping percussion and a fragile melody that remains in the background throughout. "Below 30" is straighter and more focused on techno functionality, but here too, Van Hoesen's rumbling bass keeps changing, fluid but always visceral. MLZ provides the remix of "Attribute" and decides to go for the jugular. While it could be argued that it loses some of the original's subtle nuances, the truth is that the spiralling filters, jack-knifing hi-hats and evil acid sequence augment the original production. "Attribute" is more proof that 2009 is Van Hoesen's for the taking.

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