Dan Guidance once again demonstrates his prolific work ethic with the release of two EPs, showcasing his differing takes on Drum & Bass.
In these days where taking years between releases is not uncommon, this reassures me that creativity is alive and well and is not always chained to making as much money as possible out of each new release. It is also a sign of someone who feels compelled to be creative, always a good sign for any credible artist.
The first of these two EPs, In The Shadows, was actually released at the beginning of last month. But due to unexpected hospital visits I am only just getting round to writing up my thoughts on this. EP 2, Another Realm, is more recent, being released a few days ago.
In The Shadows is, in Guidance’s own words “darker than usual” and is indeed a different beast from his more familiar Liquid DnB territory. Even the covers bears this out, featuring ghostly figures enshrouded in a gothic mist.
The first track, Crossed Wires, makes this turn to the dark side plain, as industrial noise and huge angular beats, seemingly devoid of regular rhythm, jump out of the speakers at you. Sub bass rears up out of the mix at odd intervals and the overall feel is quite unsettling. It settles down somewhat as skittering drums tie things together, albeit still with an untied together feeling. I am reminded of Aphex Twin in places, which gives you some idea of how warped things are.
Somehow, in the middle of all this, Guidance still retains his instinctive knack for melody, however twisted that melody is.
The title track features more of a regular rhythm but again comes with dark undercurrents. An eerie keyboard riff, redolent of a horror movie soundtrack, carries the tune and could easily be used to soundtrack disturbing film scenes very effectively. If Guidance’s intentions with this EP were to disturb and affect people he has succeeded enormously well.
Infected Brain makes it clear that the aim of this EP is to be unsettling, starting with a reverb-laden piano riff accompanied by the buzzing of flies. Easy listening this is not. As the song progresses, it reveals itself to be a haunting track of dark beauty. I’m not sure if we are even in DnB territory anymore, Guidance has taken us away from familiar DnB ground before, but never as completely or as far as this. The songs changes as it goes on, with new elements taking over and filling the sound. Incredibly atmospheric and incredibly effective.
Acid For Blood closes the EP on an upbeat note and has a more recognisable DnB feel to it, but still with enough dirty bass and dark atmosphere to bring things to an atmospheric climax. For all its dark twists and turns, In The Shadows is as essential a slice of music as you are likely to find.
On new EP, Another Realm, the light has returned. First track, Guiding Light, is a calmed antidote to the heavy goings on of In The Shadows. We are recognisably back in Liquid DnB stylings and Guiding Light is filled with catchy keyboard hooks and lightly skittering drums.
Snippets of dialogue and a floaty female vocal make the song seem positively chilled, although this could just be a case of comparison with what has gone before. It is dancefloor friendly and leaves me with a smile on my face.
The 4th Dimension starts with wooshing synths and piano and a solid DnB beat. A rumbling bassline runs through the songs and a lively ambiance, if that wasn’t a contradiction in terms. The song develops and more melody is brought in, again demonstrating dan Guidance’s mastery of melody. The elements come together to create as effective a slice of modern DnB as exists anywhere.
1st Time For Everything is an upbeat and uplifting affair, despite its more minimal instrumentation. An insistent drum beat hits the feet while clever use of treble range keyboards adds a tune for the mind to latch on to. The relentlessness of the drums and the more spartan arrangement make for an effective combination.
Divine Inspiration features some Spanish sounding guitar and, not for the first time, Guidance puts me in mind of Ibizan dancefloors. My times in Ibiza finished in the ’90s, way before this music was made, but there is a similar chilled-yet-dancey feel to this and the euphoric vibe that permeates the music would make it perfect for those blissed out times.
Another Realm comes to a close with the title track, a jazz infused track where again the gentleness of the music and the pace of the drum beats seem like odd bedfellows but come together to make an infectiously joyous whole.
With these two EPs, Guidance has taken us from one extreme to another, from the dark horror moods of In the Shadows to the floating on air happiness of Another Realm. That he can so effectively switch moods without losing any of his music’s effectiveness again marks him out as Drum & Bass’ leading lights.
I genuinely don’t know which of the two EPs I would mark as my favourite as they showcase such different styles comparison feels pointless, but they both deserve a full five starts for their music. No matter what style Guidance turns his hand to, the quality of his music is always nothing less than superb.
Where we go from here is anybody’s guess. But I think we can say that we will enjoy the ride.
Buy In the Shadows and Another Realm are now via Portal Recordings. Purchase from Bandcamp.