Well this is certainly a good deal of music for your money with Dusty Kid’s third album coming in at round about the two hours mark spread over two CDs which are limited to just 1000 copies on the Isolade label.

III is interestingly mixed with the use of vintage consoles and everything being recorded on to reel-to reel tape to give the finished product a distinctly dirty and lo-fi feel to it and this is apparent from the off with the opening track “Crepuscolaris” where a grimy and distorted kick lay the foundations for more deformed sonic shapes thrown over the top. It’s dark and menacing but the strings over the top lift it a little – as if there is hope rising from the burned ashes of a destroyed future city.

It’s meant to be listened to in one sitting and has been conceived as a single piece of music, so strap yourself in cos it’s gonna get bumpy.

The first five tracks of CD1 continue the dark, sinister and disturbing vein with the five tracks merging into one another with an underpinning head-nodding, mid-tempo kick. This is not safe music, it’s music created to evoke an inner panic and yet there are some beautiful moments in it such as half way through the 15 minute third track where it breaks down, before heading off in an absolutely fantastic acid attack and then getting all cinematic and stately again towards the end and into another track of head down techno (“Raww Oohmmm”). “He Won’t Let You In” finishes off the opening “suite” of tracks with a Spatik groove and then we’re into “Leather Bears Cinematic Suite” made up in a video game style with names relating to levels 1-5 (“Doom”, “Flames”, “Pandemonium”, “Dark Room” and “Exit 24”). The style of the music is the same mid-tempo distorted kick with mad acid flourishes (“Flames”) and funky mentalism (“Dark Room”). By the time you get to the “Exit 24” you do feel like you’ve passed through a trial of some kind.

CD 2 is pretty much more of the same. Track 2 (“Yota Wave”) is a tremendous tune and had it been around in the early ‘90s when I was djing it would have been hammered to death in the clubs. “Prelude” is a beautifully atmospheric tune to get lost in and is really uplifting with its strings. “Omega Y” feels like an opening for the fantastic air punching, bouncing in the air “Omega X”. The last three tracks move us through to the final track “Ending” which gentle comedown of a track.

Very much recommended. Available now as a download and in February on CD.

Stuart

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