From Deep Space

What a f*cking cool name: Phace. One word, simple and in your, well,
face. After a hectic past few years of award winning and touring, the
Phace boys (including Misanthrop, repped here and co-credited) have
now dropped this no-holds-barred warped steely titan of an album.
'From Deep Space'?

As the Bad Co-esqe title suggests it's a bit of an intrusion, something molten, scary and in many ways downright intimidating, and in many ways a nod back to the techy linear late 90s of Ed Rush, Optical and Matrix. However in those times it was often the case that a d&b album felt like a bit of an obligation, something
to appease music consumers who weren't down with 12s or indeed going out that much. And as such felt a little soulless sometimes: just a collection of tunes. Does 'From Deep Space' differ in this respect then?

In terms of production values, scope, imagination, variation... of course it does. Check 'Last Transmission' for a start, something evocative of Spor's twisted hi-tech genius, then switch to the dazzling 'Simplicity': hefty clarion-call synth deceptively preceding the sort of tight megaclub roller that Andy C would deftly slip in mid set. Then there's personal fave, the 'Going Down Slow' complete with something you just don't hear enough: a key change! Not to mention the sleazy, druggy 4/4 sickness of 'Generation For Sale', something which would have the Prodigy thumbing back through their textbooks. Blazing synths and murdered subs, shards of glassy percussion, skewed vocal layers, platinum breaks... all up 'From Deep Space' is an intrusion of the most welcome kind, just a really filthy one.