- The title of Hodge's debut EP for Berceuse Heroique seems slightly threatening, and maybe that's the point. The Bristol artist's music has gotten darker and heavier through his continued association with the Punch Drunk and Livity Sound axis. His latest record lands on Berceuse Heroique, and its paranoid feel goes well with the mildly antisocial thread running through the London label's recent releases.
"Exodus Blue" unfolds in slow motion, as high-pitched strings, gruff animal growls (think "Harlem Shake") and shuddering industrial chords orbit an elliptical drum pattern from the Peverelist playbook. It's punishing but has a nice sense of swing thanks to its dubby swing. That wonky funk returns for the the title track, which sounds closer to another Livity Sound member, Kowton. This time it's based on drum hits that wobble and flatten on impact, lending it a malleable sense of physicality that becomes its most alluring trait. Rounded off with the brief but captivating "Return To The East," You Better Lie Down makes it clear that even if Hodge is still following in his mentors' footsteps, he's doing so pretty darn well.
TracklistA1 You Better Lie Down
B1 Exodus Blue
B2 Return To The East