Thursday 4 February 2010

sweet menace

this article felt very right at the time, I'd heard Hurt You once on NME radio and was instantly intrigued and inspired. writing came easy and i'd soon knocked out a kick-ass article to kick off 2010, both reflective and forward looking at the same time.

then it didn't get printed til yesterday.

oh well, it's here now and it still makes a great read and in the meantime it seems She Is Danger have realy got about, having remixed Groove Armada, Delphic and Massive Attack

the digital version of the paper is online (page 28) or read below

She Is Danger
or as the paper titled it
Atmospheric Haunting Of Dubstep Vibe




Two defining sounds of 2009 were the seemingly overnight success of La Roux and the acceptance and assimilation of dubstep into the mainstream.

Both of these can certainly (though not exclusively) be traced back to one man.

Skream.

It was his 'Let's Get Ravey' remix of In For The Kill that spliced genres, raising both awareness and the profile of dubstep. The brooding, slow building version gaining almost as much airplay as the original.

Now imagine if the Croydon based producer had taken control of La Roux's entire output.

If you want to follow this train of thought then I would advise that you check out She Is Danger.

It was latest single Hurt You, that caught my attention, a blending of Burial style haunting beats and powerful Kosheen vocals that creates a striking sound distinctly at odds with twee radio-friendly indie and male dominated electro.

The strong sense of identity carries through in their artwork and visual style, all carefully controlled and designed by the creative pair comprising She Is Danger.

Lena Cullen, a multi-instrumentalist and singer, has teamed up with British-Japanese producer, DJ and spoken word artist, Maya Jane Coles to form a bass trembling creative duo that hold enormous promise.

Other tracks playable on their myspace reveal more of the same sparse atmospherics that the cutting dynamics of the vocals intertwines with and build upon with sweet menace.

The most obvious points of reference would be the early ‘90s trip-hop defining output of Massive Attack and Portishead, while the breathy vocals are also reminiscent of the former’s collaborator, Tricky and his acclaimed work with Martina Topley-Bird.

Bearing these influences from the past, they blend them seamlessly with the minimal and low end sonics of dubstep to great effect.

And they are already making waves and all the right connections, having supported dance legends The Orb and remixed hotly tipped artist for 2010, Ellie Goulding.

While trends in music and fashion are cyclical, She Is Danger take a sound from Bristol circa '94 and make it something entirely now.

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