Blanck Mass "Dumb Flesh"

With what could quite possibly one of the most eclectic electronic albums I've heard in recent memory, Edinburgh's Blanck Mass has compiled a batch of tracks that carry over from one to the next with ease and glow. A little HTDA and partially deadmau5, Blanck Mass creates a sound all his own, that's deep, dark and captivating. Could this possibly be N-Sign? Carl Ewart's alter ego Welsh wrote so passionately throughout his novels and developed especially for Glue? Maybe.

     Album stunner "Dead Format" sets a promising tone with tribal drums and a solid bass denominator that just doesn't let up until the track fades, and the sampling and knob turning is truly drool worthy. The main event on "Atrophies" is so heavy that the only cure for defeat is repeated listens, and even that isn't enough to scratch the itch Dumb Flesh clings on to. While deadweight like the opener "Loam" starts the album off on a bit of a stale note, the remaining tracks are so strong and powerful, that it's hard to believe the album is only eight tracks long.

     It's a new year and many artists last year were criminally overlooked. While Blanck Mass made it to the top of many AOTY lists, it still didn't get the attention and exposure it deserved. Don't let the raunchy album cover deter you Ensure this one gets to the top of your radar if you're looking for something heavy, something different, something deep and something thought provoking. This is cheeseboard party music. Indulge.