Richard D. James, with his caustic sense of humor and more intelligent than thou demeanor has often been a magnet around which the electronica community polarizes, usually falling into two categories- avid worship or scathing ridicule. Druqks will do nothing but fuel that polarity. 30 tracks across two discs of Jekyll and Hyde tempos and images will test your listening endurance to its limits. Drukqs juxtaposes maniacally precise, twisted breakbeats that are at times so fast and tightly packed they almost fade into white noise, with quieter more melodic pieces featuring classical style piano and minimalist constructions. Both types of track share an equally dark, demented atmosphere. As always, the question remains, is he taking the piss? The apparent sincerity and musicality of some of the downtempo pieces suggest not, as do other moments. For example, "54 cymrv beats" rewinds musical history and recalls the point in time where acid dripped hardcore fused itself into early drum & bass. However, the unintelligibly garbled song titles are a nod to the self- consciously indecipherable nature of the album. James comes off at times as being overtly obscure and faux avant-garde. Only the most avid fans should attempt to wade through in an attempt to salvage meaning. Nice programming skills, shame about the ego.
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
We sent a confirmation message to . Look for it, then click the link to activate your account. If you don’t see the email in your inbox, check your spam, bulk or promotions folder.
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
