TuneLab
Dolenz w/ SP:MC
Keep Hush Live: Exit Records Dolenz LP Launch
An LP launch party should feel like a dive into the artist’s brain, and Dolenz’s Exit Records showcase for Keep Hush Live, with SP:MC on the mic, is exactly that: a sprawling, intelligent map of modern drum & bass and electronica. The vibe is cerebral yet visceral, a basement lab where halftime beats and 176 BPM frenzy are part of the same experiment. Technically, it’s a tour de force of range. The BPM oscillates wildly from 90 to 176, averaging 152.7, but it never feels jarring.
The harmonic glue is the versatile key of 12A (used seven times), with 7A and 5A providing emotional shifts. The energy is remarkably balanced between low (0.49) and mid (0.42), allowing for both atmospheric depth and rhythmic complexity. The tracklist is a deep dive into Dolenz’s own catalog and the Exit Records universe. The opener 'Filter Bubble' (with Deft) sets a dark, textured tone.
'Kill This' and 'Turn It Up' are sleek, modern D&B tools, while 'Pull' (dBridge’s Push Me Remix) introduces a hip-hop swagger. The ten-minute 'Some Drum (Redux)' is a masterclass in minimalist tension. Outside cuts like Money’s 'Slower Hell' and Benny Ill’s 'Is It Safe' nod to the deeper, dubwise lineage. The journey unfolds from the ambient intro of 'Filter Bubble', builds to the brutalist peak of 'Kill This', and dissolves into the aquatic synths of the closing track 'Hydrofracker'.