Suckfish

by Rob TheakstonOften when an electronic artist makes an intentional decision to release his work using a pseudonym, it is to make the distinction between his normal music palette and a fresh one. However, more often than not the results parallel one another and there isn't a noticeable change to document. However, take that script over to Ghostly International, the home of the alter ego, where two of their franchise players, Tadd Mullinix (Dabrye, James Cotton) and Matthew Dear (Jabberjaw, False, Audion) are the exception to the rule. With Suckfish, Dear abandons the glitch happiness found in his Jabberjaw alter ego, the percussion workouts of False, and the pop hooks of his eponymous works to deliver a whole new monster: the musical id to his creative consciousness. Audion (and by proxy Suckfish) is stripped-down techno from the acid era, complete with saw-tinged basslines and a continual focus on dynamics -- the art of building tension and inevitable release in the form of sonic explosions. This isn't music developed for home listening and with contemplative production nuances (though they're in here if you dig deep enough); this is techno in its most pure and hedonistic form, dancefloor-friendly and tailor-made for moments of raw emotion.