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Tectonic don’t release albums very often, and for good reason. For whilst dubstep releases fit well to the 12” format or mixed compilations, the type of ethereal dubstep that the label dabble in doesn’t always transfer to the LP easily or succesfully. Hence, when Tectonic ready a new album, and a debut album at that, you know there's good reason.
Certainly, Sparrow’s moody fifty-minute debut does not fail to deliver on expectations. Opening track Loveless sets the mood with its smooth and spacey deep chords, complimented by understated soulful vocals. The track marks the starting point for a very cohesive album experience, as things immediately turn darker and techier with offerings such as Dread and Salvation - tracks that see the bass takes more of a role and the vocals become distant, twisted and sinister.
Sparrow’s acute knowledge of the genre and its influences give the album a well-rounded feel, that allow the whole piece to keep a constant idea whilst allowing a degree of variation and weight. Whether it’s the heavy tribal aspects in the selection of drums or occasional raga like vocals (such as in seething Salvation), Sparrow subtlety caters for a diverse array of musical purveyors – those who will be hearing these influences for the first time and those who are accustom to them but not necessarily in this context or manner. By the time the fast jungle-influenced final tracks Relapse and Regress kick in the album’s intention is fully realised; a dubstep flavoured crater through a diverse bass-influenced musical landscape.
Sparrow’s album will possibly draw comparisons in terms of its essence with Burial’s debut . However, the intentions here are very different – where Burial’s sound was specific and measured, Sparrow revels in the sprawling limitless nature that dubstep allows. A very impressive, incredibly taut and, an achievement in itself, truly great dubstep LP.