Glasgow Sound System
Spells
Craigie Knowes
The true identity of Glasgow Sound System is unknown, though the Craigie Knowes label says they’re both “a true master of sound design and rhythm” and “one of the world’s most technical producers.” Whoever they are, they sure as hell know how to open an EP, smartly kicking off Spells with the fantastic “Cocaine.” A chunky, upbeat house cut, it features glittering, new wave-style melodies, but what makes it unforgettable is the song’s hypnotically earnest vocal sample, in which a woman—in the course of just a few sentences—talks about the time she spent working as a drug runner for an old boyfriend, her resulting struggles with addiction and how she eventually “began to hang out with the Devil.”
A clever sample can go a long way in dance music—especially when that sample refers to drugs—and “Planet” does contain a lengthy monologue about humans’ tiny place in the universe. But it’s also a punchy electro-house tune, one that wouldn’t sound out of place on a label like Running Back or Permanent Vacation. “Hallucinations,” on the other hand, tilts toward techno—wormhole techno, to be exact—outfitting its insistent pulse with jagged synths that are equal parts Justice and Suckfish-era Audion.
From there, Glasgow Sound System heads off in a completely different direction, as both the EP’s title track and “Midnight Shadows” are rooted in mutant forms of trip-hop. “Spells” is the weirder of the two, with growling drones that weave and wind their way toward tweaker psychedelia, while the record’s closing number prefers classic jazz breaks and boom-bap-style drum programming. Close your eyes, and the latter could double as a long-lost DJ Shadow cut. Is he the artist behind this EP? Probably not, but anyone who can bounce this freely between cheeky house tunes and stoner-ready beats honestly shouldn’t be afraid to tell the world who they are.