One of the most powerful things about the dubstep movement – aside from the monumental sound itself – is how its rootedness has provided a platform for a generation of artists to launch out into other things from. The spaciousness, drama and flexibility of the template has allowed maverick producers like Mala, Shackleton and Kode 9 to create their own unique sound worlds that bridge the gap between clubland and the avant-garde, far more than, say, drum'n'bass ever did. And now Bristol-based producer David Corney can be added to that list.
At first listen to Broadcast, you might not even hear the obvious dubstep sounds with which Hyetal's early singles were laced. The dominant sound palette here is very much from the 1980s: the gleaming synth-led film soundtracks of John Carpenter, Giorgio Moroder and Tangerine Dream, and the strange, abstracted drama of the Cocteau Twins and The Cure are key reference points. There are some hints, too, of Prince at his most strung out (think the title track from Sign O' the Times).
Listen to "Diamond Islands"
Turn the volume up, though, and it becomes clear that this is actually a very contemporary record, with a head-nod pulse and sense of space running throughout that comes straight from this country's sound-system music lineage. These are definitely not primarily club tracks, however: crucially, the album is also full of songs. Though there are only three vocal tracks, including the gorgeous new single “Diamond Islands”, every track is constructed with its own peculiar harmonic logic that creates powerful emotional narratives that unfold more with every listen. It's an absolutely luscious album, both deeply weird and potentially populist, which demands to be lived with and absorbed over time – perhaps even a classic in the making.
