New Brunswick conjures up different associations for different people, but electronic music is normally not one of them. Subvert Contra Promotions is doing its best to change that perception. This five-track sampler showcases the diverse talent of the electronic artists that call Subvert home. Jet Project Labs opens the disc with "Guts Enough?," a beautiful airy tune built around a plucked acoustic guitar melody. The sense of serenity, however, is soon shattered by the following JPL track, as a bass drum-heavy intro clears the lane for "Breath," an introspective electro-folk hip-hop track in the vein of DJ Krush. The aptly named Mimic, on the other hand, specialises in pop star impersonation - "Brit-ne-Speared" and "N'sunk" are skewed electro versions of "I'm a Slave 4 U" and "Pop," respectively, replete with pitch-shifted vocals and distorted broken beats. The Weird Guy closes the comp with a decidedly un-pop sound collage piece entitled "Lorraina, I, LSD, Shoe Gone Blues," in which rapid-fire spoken word samples are spewed over a backdrop of dissonant synth chords. Thanks to Subvert, people will never think of New Brunswick in the same way again.
(Subvert)Various
Subvert Sampler
BY Andy LeePublished Dec 1, 2002