Speedy J - Loudboxer NovaMute

Rotterdam based Speedy J, aka Jochem Paap, releases his third album for novamute, "Loudboxer", on the 3rd of June 2002. It follows his previous two novamute releases, 1997's "Public Energy No 1" and 1999's "A Shocking Hobby". Paap had also previously released a brace of albums for Plus 8 and Warp, including "Ginger" and "G Spot" in the mid 90s.

Already an accomplished DJ by the time he made the switch to production duties, Paap's subtle understanding of the possibilities of sound have marked him down as a unique talent. Adept at both dance-floor friendly 4/4 workouts and cerebral soundscapes, Speedy's collection of albums have garnered praise from far and wide. His opening salvo of "Ginger" and "G Spot" as well as his early singles outings saw Paap acclaimed by many who recognised his ability to break out of the techno genre.

By the time his first album for novamute, "Public Energy No 1", was released in 1997, Speedy's fevered and technologically tuned imagination had gone stratospheric. The album, hailed by many of one of the best of the year, was a near perfect exploration of the outer limits of both the genre he was working in and the technology he was working with. Machines were left to run riot as Speedy acted as the mad magician directing from above yet allowing the random faults of the machines to inject soul and humanity into what so often is just sterile machine music. The caustic beats, industrial washes and harsh sounds set Speedy apart and its follow up, 1999's "A Shocking Hobby", took the template further.

Blistering live sets around the world saw Speedy orchestrate mayhem, proving that the abstract nature of his output could be easily refined and twisted to suit the live context. Appearances at Glastonbury, Sonar, I Love Techno and an astonishing live performance at London's ULU in 1999 marked the end of a chapter as Speedy began to formulate his next move.

Returning to his home studio in Rotterdam in 2000, Speedy began work on what would become his forthcoming album, "Loudboxer". Consciously wanting to return to a more basic formula, Speedy smoothed the abstract edges to produce a much more direct piece of work, yet one which still proves as exciting as his previous two.

Almost an album of two halves, it opens with 'Reenter', which sets the tone for the first 6 tracks. Deep, dark and based around a simple rhythm, the track is reminiscent of the womb like output of Berlin's Basic Channel. What follows are variations around the theme of the opening track with each one building upon the last. 'Bihum' marks the end of the first cycle giving way to 'InterZil', a dream-like descent into drifting snatches of speech and ambient sounds which is followed by the frenzied single, 'Krekc', and so begins the second, and more intense, second cycle. 'Sevntrak' is as hard as a track can be without simply being noise, while 'Krikc Live' sounds like a full blown riot. Unrelenting, hard as nails and brutally unsubtle, the second half of the album is an exhilarating experience. An album of breath taking intensity and one which proves the boy's not finished yet.