Dance Music 4 Bad People

「俺は1984年からずっとパーティーしてるんだ」と語るのはシカゴの生ける伝説Hieroglyphic Being。Smalltown Supersoundからは初となる彼の作品はこれまでのキャリアで築き上げた宇宙的な周波数に取り組み、ドラムマシンが駆動するビート、低音がうねるシンセのセクシュアリティ-や人間の不完全さを称えながら見失われがちなハウスミュージックとクラブ文化の革命的可能性に光を当てている。『Dispatches From The B4 Life』のうねるドラムや、『The Secret Teachings Of The Ages』の低音のうねりや『Reality Is Not What It May Seem』の遊び心あるベースラインはこの世の闇をなだめるように覆いかぶさる。

Dance Music 4 Bad Peoples title alludes to the Cramps, suggesting that this is some of Hieroglyphic Beings wildest, most unhinged work. As it turns out, the album is tightly focused, and the material here is generally bright and uplifting, demonstrating the healing powers of house music. All eight of these tracks are around six minutes long, and like all of Jamal Moss work, they sound like edits from endless jam sessions, with the occasional machine hiccups left in. The songs all cut to the chase, with relentless beats pounding throughout, and no tense, lengthy buildups. It all starts on a high note and progresses from there, with tightly snapping drums accompanied by dubby chords and gleefully smeared synth playing. "The Map of Salt & Stars" is fleshed out with cavernous bass and sparkling melodies, while "Reality Is Not What It May Seem" inhabits more of a low-key vibe than the other tracks, which seem busier and flashier. "Im in a Strange Loop" has a richer, more church organ-like tone, and it momentarily slows the tempo down before returning to full cycle. "Awakening from the Daydreams" feels like its slightly more on edge than the others, with muted kicks and sharper synth tones, but its still an excited rush of adrenaline rather than a dark, paranoid trip. Hieroglyphic Being remains a singular figure in electronic music, channeling cosmic energy to create sounds nobody else would have imagined. Any of his releases are worth your time, but Dance Music 4 Bad People stands out as one of the most joyous, accessible, and immediate entries in his bottomless discography. ~ Paul Simpson