Survival – Trespass / War / Fallen (DISLTD028)

Dispatch LTD is the gnarlier and deeper side to Dispatch Recordings. Survival was the artist that kicked things off for Dispatch LTD all those years ago, and here we are now with Dispatch LTD 28 with Survival making a welcome solo comeback. It’s surprising that he has any time for himself with his and Script’s “Scar” project doing big things, countless collaborations and working on the Metalheadz remastered series.

There are rumblings that Survival has a solo album in the works for a release on Dispatch sometime in 2017, so this will be a precursor to the partnership getting back into full swing.

So let’s get into what DISLTD028 has to offer…

Trespass 

Starting with a funky percussion loop accompanied by some dissonant drones and effects, the tune leads you through creepy and eerie effects to set the tone, one of moody, deep darkness. The bass sound in this track is heavy and hits hard, with some clever distortion giving it a nice harsh edge. There’s also a techno-like riff going on in the background, just complementing the percussion throughout the track. Some nicely placed midrange bass growls keep the listener interested and the tune rolls really well; the drums and percussion fit the bassline. You’ve got to hand it to Survival – he does know how to make tunes that make a mix flow!

The ghostly samples used throughout the tune make it very appropriate for a Halloween release. You could easily hear this included in a horror film!

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War

This track is aptly named: very stripped back and raw. The intro is quite bare, apart from a “marching” drum pattern. This then builds with tone which I can only describe as “suspenseful”.  War is a minimal and moody tune, but very aggressive at the same time. The bass reinforces that feeling; it’s there looking over your shoulder, intimidating you, trying to make you feel small because its presence st larger than life. Survival makes the tune sound even more aggressive after the second drop, building on what was already established, but with extra bass stabs and “alien” sound effects. Not a tearout tune, but a definite screw face one!

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Fallen

Fallen caps off what is a strong solo release from Survival. As with “War”, the intro is very stripped back and minimal, similar to the Johnny L track entitled “See Red” – a hat loop and kick drum keeping time and the odd snare thrown in just to keep the DJ on their toes! There is also a haunting, ghostly voice interweaving with the atmospheric sound to give you a sense of despair. The drums roll well when the tune drops and you have to move along with them. This is classic Survival, good rolling meaty drums and deep, chest pummelling bass. I initially thought this was a Scar (Survival + Script) track when I first heard it months back as it definitely carries some “Scar” DNA in its make up!

The Dispatch and Survival partnership have once again delivered a solid release. This one will be on rotation at In-Reach for many months. It’s a deep and stripped back EP that you can listen to over and over, yet also cause damage on the floor while in the mix. We here at In-Reach are looking forward to more solo Survival material forthcoming on Dispatch. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long for that day to arrive.

You can pick this ep from the following outlets
• Dispatch website
• Bandcamp
• iTunes