Album Review

LV Feat. Joshua Idehen – Routes

• 31st May 2011

Whilst dubstep may have been assimilated into the mainstream consciousness by means of Magnetic Man’s commercially playlisted efforts or an ever-present wealth of raging bass mutations, many of these couldn’t be further away from the pioneering sounds of Burial’s self titled 2006 debut album that was one of the first announcements of the then-underground scene.

For those that dug Burial’s ambient atmospherics and dark soundscapes that seemed to tell the tale of a city that never quite sleeps, Routes by London trio LV seems like more of a natural progression than what is now commonly percieved as dubstep.

The shuffling and scuttering percussion carries a perfect sense of unease as it paces along, creaking as it  encompasses a hybrid of influences and a wealth of experiences, this is the sound of a city under streetlights.

Sparse and understated compositions and a slight rumbling of bass bring to mind wandering past clubs in Farringdon to me, of the industrial area becoming a haven for clubbers once the sun has gone down, of the bass leaking into the streets as a night bus makes its approach , it mixes darkness and euphoria equally to create a strange musical beast that seems to inhabit an after-party ambience that carries a subtle menace as it gives off just enough light to dance to.

As the album progresses it suffers slightly from its repetitious nature, and for an album named Routes, it sadly doesn’t really seem to be taking us anywhere that it hasn’t already shown us before, the beats become familiar and interest wanes if it plays out in the background, or if thoroughly immersed in it the moodiness becomes almost claustrophobic.

Perhaps this was intentional, perhaps not.