Bitzl R

Faws’ Antonym EP is the debut release by an anonymous Dublin producer posted on Bandcamp just a few weeks. Self-released, this five track recording would be at home on Hyperdub - Antonym’s mid-tempo atmospheric electronica plays with moody keys, snare percussion, effected vocal samples, clattering beats and jittery two-step shackles. 

To go track by track, ‘Take Notice’ grafts a bent r&b vocal sample with loungey keys, finger-clicks and hi-hat shuffles, ‘Camille’ juxtaposes crisp rhythmic jabs against a smooth male vocal sample, ‘Paper Jam’ layers recorded phone messages over an intricate drum pattern and brooding synth builds, ‘Worries’ makes a dub swing on a otherwise minimal tune and ‘Empty Bottles’ bows out with organic creaks and and an indecipherable chorus line. Throughout Faws uses breaks as clever punctuation. Just as ‘Paper Jam’ reaches a claustrophobic peak, a five second pause dislodges the mounting tension. It’s not an overtly dark record but at times there’s a broodings tautness to the EP that Faws contrasts with limp moments – think Burial duelling Caribou.

Antonym is a stylish debut, an earworm record - assured and perfectly formed. Whoever is behind Faws is a massive new talent. 

[faws.bandcamp.com][facebook.com/fawsdublin]