Paleman - Pale Vater
After Callum Lee took a short break to focus on the more ambient side of his music under his Fresnel Lens alias, he returned to club-focused releases in 2023, producing again under the familiar Paleman alias. The short venture into the experimental arts didn't dampen the percussive excellence, delivering more moody yet groovy tech stepping on the album Veiled in 2023. Now, a year on, and just in time for the NYE gigs, Paleman joins 30D Records with Pale Vater (2024).
Lee kicks things off with a bouncy number and the title track of his EP, 'Pale Vater'. His sharp and snappy syncopated grooves sound sleek and futuristic, especially compared to the ultra-woozy roller trundling alongside. Each track is a flavour of UK techno mixed with the ultra-polished yet super-dark era of dubstep popularised by the likes of ChestPlate and, of course, Osiris Records. This throwback sound is especially prominent on the tracks 'Lying About Lying' and 'No You', perfectly capturing the spirit of those old records. The injection is sparse, almost mechanical percussion with the backdrop of a fluttering baseline that sounds almost like a muffled prop plane engine mixed with a dilapidated electronics transistor, which should bring back memories of these dark, swampy club nights. Finally, demonstrating a levelling up of textual understanding unlike the previous is 'Trawl', which fills every iota with some of the best atmospherics on the record. Hidden in the backdrop of this track is a set of ghostly gasps and whispers that take you from a spine-tingling interest in the club to anxiety-inducing when listing on a dark winter's walk.
This release perplexed me because all the tracks feel like variations. It feels like a release of remixes from the same source material. Unfortunately, this means that not much stands out as a whole; the tracks almost flow from one to the other, which begs why this isn't one evolving progressive epic. The differences from track to track don't feel like they're fleshed out as much as they could be, but it's a minor gripe when the core is so clear and driving. Positively, what is there is at a high level, and the quality is going up, meaning, at the very least, you can choose your favourite rhythm and have a belter to put in your NYE playlist.
Tracklist:
Pale Vater
Lying About Lying
Trawl
No You
Label: 30D Records
Paleman - Pale Vater
