- TS014 is the second release from Cop Envy, a rising talent from Sydney, and it lands on hometown label Templar Sound. His first EP, Total End for Black Opal, paired UK funky riddims with a gloomy techno palette. It referenced Roska, DVA, T.Williams et al. circa 2010, but with all the colour drained—a somber UK funky that had grown up and forgotten how to have fun. UK influences also define TS014, only this time it takes a wider shot at the continuum by borrowing from dubstep, jungle and grime.
"Sshake" is a Bristolian paint by numbers job: swinging quasi-tribal drums, bass and a sniff of something foul in the air. It evokes Livity Sound and the early productions of Kowton and Szare. It's solid, albeit unimaginative. "Head Mark" takes cues from jungle and would have done better without the predictable genre tropes. It's got a killer groove, but it didn't need to make the hardcore connection so obvious. "Kay," the EP's standout, begins tight and punchy but slowly unravels—in a good way. A swampy dread creeps in, then chilly synth notes drop the temperature a few more degrees. "Sister Chord" is a pleasant stasis tool with bleary ambient pads and rolling drums that put you in a head space you're sorry to leave.
TracklistA1 Sshake
A2 Head Mark
B1 Kay
B2 Sister Chord