2 Bit Pie

Written and produced by Fluke’s Mike Bryant and Jon Fugler, together with Andy Gray (Korn, Oakenfold), 2 Pie Island features lead vocals by Fugler and Yuki Ishii (Sea Shell), as well as musical contributions from Jan Burton (Syntax), Wild Oscar and Robin Goodridge (Bush). Right from the first bass riff of "Fly” we’re given a good hook buoyed by acid synth lines layered over rolling beats. Fulger’s distinctive voice takes the lead and Yuki offers a kind of vocalised punctuation at the end of each verse. It’s followed by the funk and bounce of "Here I Come” and a re-edit of 2 Bit Pie’s 2005 hit "Nobody Never,” whose syncopated break beat and synth hooks get further voxed-out. The tracks, for the most part, benefit from simple lyrics, and Fulger’s smooth riding vocals mostly add to the dance floor drive. An exception is "Colours,” whose promising drum rolls, acid bass and epic pads dissipate into weak vocals and a weaker melody line. However, operatic rock-out "Soto Mundo” features Royal Opera House’s Dilshani Weerasinghe and hyper-extends 2 Bit Pie’s originality quotient, making up for it. The following track, "Pil,” with distorted vocals and effects-laden guitar riffs, jumps right out of the rocktronica realm and sets the pace for "Little Things,” which follows suit in a similar but more electronic vein. The last two tracks, "Slipaway” and "Afterhours,” shift gears into low kick drums layered with eerie guitars and modulated effects, resulting in an equally driven but a bit more heavy-footed close.