Cursa: Flange / Sister P
Protect Audio
Cursa's latest single proves that it's more than possible for a ten-minute release to make a lasting impression. The brainchild of London-based duo Kit Maloney and Tim Ogilvie-Harris, Cursa specializes in a particularly dynamic brand of drum'n'bass, as shown by the two cuts on this Protect Audio outing.
A bold and dramatic opener, “Flange” finds a portentous horn phrase setting a menacing mood—the proverbial calm before the storm—before a rapid wind-up detonates in a brutal series of spasmodic jungle-styled drum breaks and writhing bass throbs. Maloney and Ogilvie-Harris demonstrate a sophisticated sense of pacing in scaling things back for a mid-track breakdown before having the skittering drums and bass elements roar back in to re-establish the dread-filled vibe. A tad less furious is the B-side's “Sister P,” which, like the opener, starts menacingly with dark industrial atmospherics before a towering bass pulse lunges in at the one-minute mark, the drums following close behind. While the pace is less frenetic and the lurching groove funkier, the second tune proves to be as sophisticated as the first in its sound design and again shows an artful handling of pacing. Based on the evidence at hand, a larger serving of Cursa material wouldn't be unwelcome.November 2013