When Martyn released his debut in 2009, many were calling his music a throwback to the '90s drum and bass that was found on labels like Ninja Tune and Warp, but this may be because he's an authentic product of that era. Starting out as a DJ in 1996, the Dutch-born producer cut his teeth in front of live audiences, helping his music gain an exceedingly fluid and reactionary feel. On The Air Between Words, his third LP, Martyn has crafted a sleek hybrid that blends the low-end groove of dubstep with his own style of shapeless melodies and structures.
Martyn's move from Brainfeeder to Ninja Tune comes off almost symbolic, as the former label's jazz tendencies and the latter's rubbery reflexes are equally represented. Bringing in a pair of collaborators, Martyn absorbs Four Tet's airy piano sound on "Glassbeadgames" while copeland (formally of Hype Williams) gives the album its wistful centrepiece, "Love of Pleasure." On The Air Between Words, Martyn comes off tranquil, playful and completely in control of his own kaleidoscopic world.
(Ninja Tune)Martyn's move from Brainfeeder to Ninja Tune comes off almost symbolic, as the former label's jazz tendencies and the latter's rubbery reflexes are equally represented. Bringing in a pair of collaborators, Martyn absorbs Four Tet's airy piano sound on "Glassbeadgames" while copeland (formally of Hype Williams) gives the album its wistful centrepiece, "Love of Pleasure." On The Air Between Words, Martyn comes off tranquil, playful and completely in control of his own kaleidoscopic world.