- Last Life's Nootka is ultra-precise and emotionally subtle, typifying the modern sound defined by labels like Cylon, Samurai and UVB-76. Every element is tuned for maximum clarity and impact. Each track feels impossibly tactile, as if you could pluck the crisp percussion out of the air with a pair of tweezers. On headphones, it sounds so perfect that it borders on sterile. In the mix, it's a juggernaut.
"Ergo" is the best and most daring track of the set. Unlike the stepping A-side, it adopts a stop-start rhythm. This creates an assertive gait while clattering breaks add a welcome hint of organic character amid the artificial atmosphere. "Plumb Line" centres on an intriguing texture that sounds like a rainstick recorded for an ASMR video, shifting around a set of laser-focussed rhythms and wheezing synth tones. The spatial treatments are eventually stripped away to reveal a surprise attack of tautly controlled breaks, the track's highlight. But even though Nootka—especially the title track—is heavy and intimidating, its clean lines and bevelled edges aren't as dangerous as its mood suggests. That said, it's built for big soundsystems and DJ sets. In this context, it's a success.
TracklistA1 Nootka
A2 Plumb Line
B1 De-Excitation
B2 Ergo