Kingthing vs Jamie Grind - infra12005
Artist Info
Reviews
Boomkat
First release of 2012 for Infrasonics, and if you ask us, it’s one of their best to date. It’s a cracking label debut for Bristolian producer/DJ/scribe, KingThing. His ‘Waking Up’ groove syncs muscular subs and pointillist percussion to a retina-scarring lazer-tranz breakdown with the force of a prime Boddika or xxxy roller, while ‘Cold Diss’ is a freakin’ outstanding display of special-move edit agility approaching SND levels of body-twysting funk futurism. Not letting his side down, Jamie Grind returns to the label after that smart split with Gon, getting involved with a flickering, flighty Footwork-cum-Garage framework infused with flash soul chords on ‘For You’, and cutting up tensile 2-step rhythms with mercurial Juke on ‘We Still Play 140’. Badboys.
Boiler Room
As Infrasonics continue their long-standing mission of bringing you excellent dance music, they’ve just released a new split EP from Jamie Grind and Kingthing.
De:bug
“Unbelievable killer release, but actually that’s always the case for infrasonics.”
Check a magazine scan here (German).
Cargo Records
Infrasonics hits heavy with the next 12” in their highly collectable split EP series. As FACT magazine put it, “Totally pumped, furious work outs from KingThing and Jamie Grind herald their first release of 2012, showcasing a high-octane mixture of snarling club sounds as aggressively funky as any Swamp 81 or Fade To Mind material”.
New signing KingThing comes correct with two hybrid numbers that build on the garage swagger of his previous outings with a new found focus and intensity and a broadened sonic palette that wraps analogue-style synths within tight digital edits. The intro to ‘Waking Up’ is rhythmic in fits and starts, as vocal hooks and triplet percussive stabs reciprocate before gradually settling, building a continuity of meter with rising pads leading to a crescendo that drops into a killer, technoid resolution of jacking monosynth leads and arpeggios over a slamming kick. ‘Cold Diss’ bangs hard from the off. Distilled juke and booty influences seep through the interplay of the vocal phonemes and pitched sub, but the vibe here is original. The ac- companying synth, that briefly introduces the track before later resurfacing to guide, has a cold clinical precision and resonance to it that could be forged by SND or Alva Noto. The context is very different though and the resulting symbiosis is a satisfying romp for the peak hour dance. For more information on KingThing, visit http://kingthing.net
Jamie Grind turned the head of many a player with his first drop for Infrasonics on the ‘Infra12003 EP’ he shared with Gon. Equally, his second pulls no punches. Sonically situated somewhere between Leeds and L.A. he turns in two tracks that weave summer vibes around a propulsive bassline rhythms. ‘For You’ builds around cut up vocal hooks and woozy stabs before resolving into an infectious, driving 4/4 groove. It breaks briefly, breezy chords switching the atmosphere, before settling back into the bassline groove. ‘We Still Play 140’ is a different proposition, constructed around an off kilter piano / stab combo and skittering percussion. It’s unfamiliar territory but Jamie’s ability to settle the listener as the bass and strings give fullness and urgency to the mix and play with the tension and release is a testament to his finely tuned pop sensibilities – man knows how to arrange for devastating impact. For more information on Jamie Grind, visit http://jamiegrind.co.uk/
Hyponik
Kingthing and Jamie Grind are the purveyors of East London label Infrasonic’s first foray in 2012, a furious, genre-spanning release set to continue the outfit’s consistently fine output over the last few years. Following records from xxxy and Spatial, infra12005 is multifarious, the undying energy constantly revamped and given new lease of life. In other words, it’s some of the most impressive work of Infrasonics to date, and of 2012 for that matter. The EP carries an even, satisfying weight, its able re-working of the past and present quietly setting it apart from its peers.
A notable aspect of the release includes the subtle yet constant shaping and redefining of tracks, consistently providing multiple dimensions throughout the EP. Kingthing’s efforts in particular are endlessly busy, opener ‘Waking Up’ moving through three distinct phases, each more satisfying than the last. ‘Cold Diss’, meanwhile, draws upon elements of footwork, the relentless percussion providing the strength for the hypnotic, endlessly sustaining vocal cut. It’s seriously effective, the slickness of it all perhaps its most noticeable trait. A track destined for the dance-floor, it would seem, and the highlight of the EP, personally.
Jamie Grind brings a bassline and garage inspired pair of tracks, providing the soulful foil to Kingthing’s unashamed intensity. ‘For You’ is infectious, it’s bouncing rhythm given a reinforced clarity due to the depth of it’s parts. The aptly titled ‘We Still Play 140’, meanwhile, reminds us all why the tempo is still a force to be reckoned with, the mind-numbing bass and tricky percussion ending the EP as strongly as it began.
Spin Magazine
The latest record from London’s Infrasonics label, a split EP between new signing KingThing and Leeds’ Jamie Grind, is a wonderful slab of bass-music yin and yang. Infrasonics’ early releases, back in 2008 and 2009, marked the dubstep scene’s shift towards house and garage, and hybridity continues to define the label’s aesthetic.
Falling somewhere between the blunt, paranoid techno of Blawan and the tough, electro-oriented beats of recent Swamp 81 releases, KingThing’s “Waking Up” is a mean-spirited amalgam of 808 electro rhythms, chest-thumping bass, and acid squelch; “Every Sunday, waking up,” grunts a looped vocal, but you can be pretty sure that church isn’t on the agenda. “Cold Diss” gestures at redemption with gleaming chords, but the punchy machine groove and juke-style vocal chop are as dark as the inside of a clenched fist.
Jamie Grind’s two tracks, though, are all sweetness and light. “For You” is an ecstatic U.K. garage tune that bubbles in all the right places, with sped-up diva vocals, a male choral counterpoint, and a killer, jacking organ groove, all pump and flash. Sure, it’s a template, but, done like this, it’s irresistible. “We Still Play 140” takes things even brighter, with fizzing chords and pitch-shifted vocals strung along over a prickly garage rhythm. The title pays homage to 140 beats per minute, a tempo that’s recently been falling out of favor in dubstep circles, and he’s got a point: It’d be hard to evoke such blissed-out frenzy at a slower pace.
Bleep
A high-octane four cuts of pumping club sounds from Infrasonics together with KingThing and Jamie Grind. New signing KingThing delivers two swaggering garage cuts – percussive stabs, cut-up vocals hooks and slamming kicks. Jamie Grind weaves together two breezy summer grooves – building up around vocal hooks and an infectious 4/4 groove.
Mixmag (5/5)
“Near perfect techno, juke and future garage jams”
Check the magazine scan here
