reviews / 2013

WALTON - Beyond

Name: WALTON – Beyond
Item: Beyond
Rating: 6
Author: Roberto Mandolini

2013 (Hyperdub)

Dubstep

by Roberto Mandolini

It's been ten years since Kode9's first singles and the wholly underground explosion of Dubstep, that sound which blended the roughness of garage and two-step with the softness of trip-hop. In the hyperkinetic universe of electronic music, ten years is an eternity: suffice it to say that in just half a decade drum'n'bass had already run its course (we'll be forever grateful to David Bowie for never releasing a Dubstep record). Throughout all this time, dubstep has managed to remain a niche phenomenon.

It was back in 2004 that Kode9 founded Hyperdub, still a reference point today for anyone looking to navigate the ocean of electronic music production. The debut of young English producer Walton is a good record for gauging the health of Dubstep, which, aside from the outstanding Burial, hasn't offered up a memorable record in some time. This is also the limitation of "Beyond", which flows gracefully, between offbeat palpitations and sinuous melodies lifted from the history of soul, but without leaving any marks capable of lasting over time.

Rather, Walton's ability seems to lie in underscoring the sensuality of a style often associated with the muscle-flexing of hyper-ripped DJs. The young producer from Manchester, instead, frequently indulges in languid, romantic interludes, as in the case of the ballad "Take My Love".

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

22/12/2013

Share on

This article is an English translation of the original Italian text by Roberto Mandolini, published on OndaRock.it. It was translated with the help of artificial intelligence, under the editorial responsibility of OndaRock's editor-in-chief, Claudio Fabretti.

Read the original in Italian · About the English edition