Country : India / UK
Year : 2011
Label : Commercial Suicide
Genre : Dubstep; Electro; Drum 'n' Bass; Darkstep; IDM
Web Site : Amit on SoundCloud
Amit makes interesting music - it is both darkly-paranoid, and is both impact and strong. The first composition is like an intro - a one-minute goa, psychedelic and with narrative voice of participating in several songs here guest singer Rani. Given to second "Prypyat" it is like schizoid prelude, because "Prypyat" is paranoid dubstep, darkstep with introductory words of Russian spokeswoman, which reported that just blasting of nuclear power station in the Russian city Chernobyl. Announcing it slightly stereotype voice, without gram of emotion. And then to start with a mid-tempo breakbeat rhythm, background of atmospheric samples, that seem to accompany you in your go down to the depths of the Earth. And the thing that impressed me in the whole album - excellent using of technique on drum programming. At times in the album, drums sound even better than played live. Yes, depends on who have played them, you will say, and you're be right. But it can not be denied dense sound, that is achieved Amit by using of technique. The song ends again with a Russian spokeswoman, which gives instructions, on how to deal with the current disaster.
The third "68000" is dubstep at drums, there have reverberating, light bass shades and a little 8bit for color. Robotic-paranoid feeling in atmospheric synths have it again, but it is in a lighter form. IDM aesthetics of Amon Tobin meets modern dubstep sound with glitch tinges. Most compositions are more than 5 minutes. "Atonal" is no exception. It has a slightly oriental feeling, vigorous, tight drums, mid tempo and prophetic unpredictability, sampled piano chords. It isn't atonal, contrary to its name, and has a lot more IDM than the previous "68000." And tribal percussions provide additional color. To finish with the atmospheric background of such intense psycho-thriller. The next "RBMK 1000" sounds very well with its bass, and here you can feel good breakbeat drums. Sounds like underground ghetto industrial. Something paranoid, grim, but breakbeat-robotic, funky-groovy. Imaginative and experimental. A secretive atmospheric passages are trademarks of Amit. The thing that mark again - are drums. Programmed or played live, for me it does not matter here, they sound, exactly as it should. So if can to destroy dam, for example. And many I-F sound in the song, which brings me years ago. Again over 5 minute composition, Amit has tinkered, and the result is marvelous electro.
Goa semantics is brave implied in the title track "9 Times" with darkstep - hard and uncompromising. And the words "you came from another time and place" are sung mysterious, even paranoid, which line dark, psy atmosphere and heavy drums stick like nails in fresh wood. Here predominant dark electro stylistics, I mean in most compositions.
Infectious bass line in "Bloxit" entrained, and erupted into dubstep smasher with ethno percussions, and everything is set in blissful mid tempo plus amain electro synth waves, inlet heat from time to time. To you can say finally - ethno dubstep, bass groove breaker. Squarepusher wink and a perfectly well done. If any skilled wise guy told you how it sounds real dubstep, and tells you artists and groups, do not listen him, listen to Amit. So like that sound dubstep with doses urban, hip-hop beats, and exact atmospheric passages.
Well, I'm fascinated by this album, and could not be otherwise. It's good to hear it, if you like electronics to be heavy, striking, gloomy. And as it says in the song "Social Dilemma" - "the rhythm never ends", he not only does not end, but Amit frame like that, that set new standards, which define his place of one of the talented electro artists. Sometimes a comparison with Amon Tobin is inevitable. Since 2002 he release vinyl singles, and this is his second full-length album after "Never Ending" on 2006. And it is a awesome impact with which he showing wonderful growth, and if he continue in this course, he will surely become one of the leading names in darkstep, dubstep styles.
"Doomed Youth" is rhythmic dubstep, dark drum 'n' bass splinter with film sampled speeches and very filtered rough bass. Darkness and dubstep. Dubstep and darkness. Here Amit Kamboj (as his real name is) has pay attention more on rhythm. And again, more over than five minutes darkstep, or dark dubstep, as you want call it. With very close sounding to live played drums parties. I do not know whether sunny time in which listening to the album is exactly appropriate for this type of music, but however iy is not depressing, to let outshine everything around me. In his own way, it's gloomily electro material.
Ninth "Dream Sequence" starts with a dark synth background and sounds from a toy. Again it is dark and unpredictable feeling, add to this and Arabic motifs in the background and to get the perfect intro to the next "My Own Way Home" (Feat. Rani) - 6 minute darkstep, mid tempo fist. Imaginative and with extensive sounding echo vocal of Rani (very fitting for electro, drum 'n' bass, breakbeat, dubstep). Somehow her voice is flying in time and with its own strength. Wonderful. And tells of wandering, about to find your place. Psychedelic. Epic, overwhelming lines and bated melody. Trip to heaven.
"Manson's Truth" has hinted Middle East immensity, film skits, sounding paranoid-frankly, here's something little of them - "the truth is in your ghettos, in your jails, in the young love, not in your courts or your congress" - no, there is no sun, there is a bass, ruthless drums as for darkstep, of course. And a composition itself is overture to the rhythmic "Social Dilemma", because it is only 2 minutes and a lot goes to be intro or overture, as you want call it. For "Social Dilemma" I said at the beginning.
Before last "Tokyo" is one of the strongest tracks on the album - think in direction of industrial, heavy hip-hop beat and robotic Kraftwerk-ish phrases "Tokyo", and... a lot of rhythm. Super catching piece, never mind, that is dark, it is done exactly properly - to hit me with the correct force and into the right place. I do not know whether the title is a reference to disasters, that occur frequently in Japan, but the composition is a powerful mid-tempo drum 'n' bass with all the elements that I have noted at the beginning. In the middle are included sounds as if of alarm for disaster. Many urbanistic and at the same time create a futuristic atmosphere from the future. I imagine some strange buildings, smoke, and super modified cars, but I do not see people, I feel it isolationist somehow. But nevertheless it's beautiful, pretty nice sounding composition. The album ends with "Unconscious", which continues the line of futurism of "Tokyo", but here the atmospheric synths passages try to be more epic. The tempo is medium, and bass and dubstep with dub elements to complement the whole. Composition is a little bit longer - whole 9 minutes. But again, here's dubstep amply. Imaginative, there is passing, thrilling oscillating synth chords, for more cosmos. Slightly boring with its length, but there are ten songs before it, that are worth listen. At the sixth minute occurs break of 20 seconds, whereafter start cheering and the dark fiddles then, and only fiddles on background of the film orchestration. The purpose of this hidden piece with fiddle inclusion with darkness is perhaps, to reinforce paranoid-film cinematic feeling for most, even all the time of the album. This is an experiment away from the electronics of the album, but it's so expository.
If you like heavy bass, strong electronic drums and dark cinematic synth insertions, then "9 Times" is your music. Or sometimes if you feel the darkness in your soul, then this album would be the perfect soundtrack for those heavy, and only, moments and state of mind.
