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In the midst of 2007 a distinctive sound emerged as a series of twelves surfaced on the prolific Tectonic imprint. 2562 (pronounced Twenty Five, Sixty Two) is the nondescript alter ego of Dutchman Dave Huismans. Coming from a background of broken beat and techno, Huismans is a relative newcomer to the dubstep movement. Remarkably, barely twelve months have passed since his first foray into the genre, yet the originality of his music has cemented his status as a bonafide innovator of the sound.
Redux opens proceedings with a lazy, lumbering sway that contrasts with the lively percussive approach typical of the 2562 style. Generous swathes of dub melody are slathered across a minimalist soundscape as Huismans gently ushers the listener into his world. Underpinned by a bumping, swollen dub bassline, the sub-aquatic Morvern heralds the start of the album proper. The familiar groove of the 4/4 kick drum is soon interspersed with the trademark percussion of 2562 that transforms his music into an irresistibly deep hybrid of dub, techno, broken beat and garage. Huismans’ approach to rhythm is deft, imbued with a nimble touch that eludes the bulk of his dubstep brethren. Miniscule snippets of sound whip in and out of frame as bongos ricochet off skittering hi-hats, clicks and snares, lending Aerial a superbly spatial dimension.
Channel Two exemplifies the unmistakable swagger of 2562’s distinctive groove, a mutant cadence that oscillates within a netherworld between techno, dub, breakbeat and garage flows. Here Huismans demonstrates dubstep’s peculiar ability to simultaneously sound as if it is at 70 and 140 bpm, as techno-esque high-hats sit at odds with elements that seem to convulse at half that pace. Techno Dread is by far the most energetic track in this collection, a demented synth freak-out that has battered bassbins from Brixton to Berlin. Here 2562 travels time with a series of cheeky electro handclaps to punctuate his eternally rolling basslines and skalpel-cut percussion. The result? A searing track that sneers at any notion of dubstep as the snail paced soundtrack of lethargic stoners swaying in a dank, meditative syncronicity.
This propulsive trajectory continues as Huismans dishes out perhaps the two finest moments on this album, Enforcers and Kameleon. Sleek and fluid, Enforcers is an exemplary cut of garage infused breakbeat of the deepest kind; a perfect amalgamation of precision beatplay and impossibly warm melodic reverb. Kameleon is a stark slice of futurism, far removed from the sounds emerging from London today, yet embodying the swing and groove of garage that first gave birth to the nascent genre of dubstep. A bongofied transmission from the year 3030, Kameleon’s distinctive percussion is instantly recognised from the moment it enters the mix of any DJ’s set. Simply put, there is not another tune within the genre that sounds remotely like this. Exquisite.
2562’s music is not without precedent, as Huismans himself has noted the indelible influence exerted by the seminal sounds of Basic Channel, Detroit techno and broken beat. What makes Aerial so utterly engaging is how he manages to combine elements from disparate genres without descending into cliche. Listeners without a grounding in the finer points of dubstep or techno needn’t despair though – this is a stunningly crafted album that will appeal to those who appreciate nuance, warmth and invention in electronic music.
