Battles, “Titanium 2 Step” (Warp)
I love it when Battles come back from a long hiatus and wow us all over again with surprising guest musicians (Shabazz Palaces, Yes vocalist Jon Anderson, etc.) and subtle variations on their ambitious sound: a kind of brainy, brutalist electronic rock that thrusts mercurially in odd meters. And now the New York group—currently down to keyboardist/guitarist/electronics manipulator Ian Williams and drummer John Stanier—return with a single off their fourth Juice B Crypts album (out October 18). It features vocalist Sal Principato of funky post-punk minimalists Liquid Liquid, which is always a sign that things will be interesting.
According to the press release, Juice B Crypts (produced and mixed by Chris Tabron of Beyoncé, Mobb Deep, and Ratking fame) "[marries] synthesizer loops, cut-throat drum patterns, and cyclical riffs" and "flirts with new technology, questions of authenticity, and the technicalities of reinventing the wheel at the eleventh hour." Sounds promising. "Titanium 2 Step" barges out of the gate with John Bonham-heavy beats and urgent Principato scatting. The sinewy, spasmodic rhythm recalls Killing Joke's "Change"—a very good thing. At about 1:20, though, Stanier's beats get more complex and Williams's keyboards careen and ascend as if in a prog-rock song about Übermenschen. "It's taking too long to figure it out/It's taking too long to get it right," Principato grimaces into the mic, and that sentiment can apply to so many aspects of American life. I can see "Titanium 2 Step" becoming a smash hit in the world's geekiest dance clubs.
