XYZ -IGLOOGHOST, KAI WHISTON AND BABii REVIEW

XYZ, the inaugural release off the Gloo label sees label founder and all-round beat transgressor, Iglooghostteam up with fellow Somerset native and sub reprobate, Kai Whiston, featuring guest vocals from member of the Margate Massive (not a real band), BABii. XYZ is chocked-full of that familiar, indispensable Whiston and Iglooghost vehement, punk ethos aggression but; with the addition of BABii, still retains its cartoonish, squirrel with a helium problem vocal.

            Weighing in at 9 tracks and 28 minutes XYZ is a sonic hit-and-run of an album, as to be expected it’s mad as a box of triangles and I foresee the trio polarising as much as impressing with this offering. Truman Capote once said, “good taste is the death of good art” but I assume he would have been an introverted, ambience kind of guy if he was about and this wouldn’t have been his vibe.

            XYZ’s explosive, hyperkinetic and overwhelming sonic display has embedded Ghost’s familiar idiosyncrasies, alongside this is Whiston’s abrasive, thrusting production style. The two trade beats and textures as a unified force, complimenting and elevating the music to new heights. 

            Tracks like Lockki, Teef Chizel, Barely Twins and Lamb revisit and expand on Ghost and Whiston’sstrengths, the drops are vulgar, seriously, many animals were hurt in the making of this record, in particular squirrels. Teef Chizzel dumbfounds your eardrums invoking the same bewilderment your nan has when online banking, not to mention its Alberto Balsam sample for all those Aphex Twin-worshipping, ageing hipsters out there. Barely Twins reinforces this brawny atmosphere by expounding more sub vulgarity and cutting rhythms but repurposing them with womping, medium tempo breakdowns. Reminiscent of a more expansive version of Whiston track, Brain Fritta from 2018’s imaginatively titled, Bitch.

            Humongoliod drops and humorous samples aside XYZ also contains more subdued, RnB atmospheres. It seems the addition of BABii’s vocal offers a brief expedition into glistening pop and a lean towards; albeit a brief one, a conventional song format. Tracks in the vain of Drown U and C Thru are relatively toned down and allow for brief rest bite in relation to all the hulking density and ADHD biproduct of Whistonand Iglooghost’s sound. Surprisingly; well at least for me, this tact seems to be fertile for expansion, the trio coalesce into something of real substance and their most mature contribution to date.

Originally published on hyponik