Eva808 - LET'S BE HAVIN U?
Tear-out dubstep is a subcategory defined by its comedicly defiant breaking of rules. What started with Coki's exceptionally phonetic bass manipulations, later popularised by Rusko's belligerent wobbles, defined a generation. Jumping forward over a decade, the ethos of breaking the rules with a comedic twist is alive and well in Eva808's LET'S BE HAVIN U? Eva808 is bass music through and through. Eva blends genres from all over the spectrum into a rugged, club-ready sound that shakes speaker boxes and leaves knees weak. Returning off the back of her second album ÖÐRUVÍSI, the Icelandic beat scientists expressed I want to get back to basics after an "emotionally challenging project, I felt the need to make something weird and energetic for the club." The result is four tracks of experimental IDM-leading tear-out dubstep.
The title track 'LET'S BE HAVIN U?' is full of Aggression. From the hauntingly in-your-face Billy Elliot sample, which acts both as a pretty uncomfortable listen and a quite forceful instruction to dance, echoing Rusko's Cockney Thug, to the dissonant lead and fluttering hats that match the sample's intensity, Eva808 intends to blow off some head tops. The energy continues into the much sludgier, 'Y R U N KET?' only this time, everything sounds much more off-centre. The bass warps and undulates, giving off this feeling of being under the influence. Eva808 starts slipping to the far reaches of experimentalism with the tracks 'BLUEBERRYPOISONDARTFROG' and 'GEIMVRA'.
In comparison, they both exhibit impressively technical sound design and creative mixing choices, with the former executing a noisy, beatless style and the latter showcasing flat-out syncopation and some rather visceral Reece basses. They aren't exactly the dance floor Jewels. These weird offshoots display Eva's disdain for mediocrity. While granted, these two don't get you on your feet. It highlights Eva's refusal to stick to the playbook, producing whatever she wants, a freedom rarely seen today.
Eva808's LET'S BE HAVIN U? is one for those who laugh when they break the rules. Its refreshing blend of striking sound design and comedic use of sampling echoes the rule breakers from a decade ago, flipping their ethos on its head. These weird sonic weapons will go down in the club and leave a lasting impression on your audience, for better or worse.
Tracklist:
LET’S BE HAVIN YOU?
Y R U N KET?
BLUEBERRYPOISONDARTFROG
GEIMVRA
Label: Exit Records
Eva808 - LET'S BE HAVIN U?
