New York-based producer Drew Lustman has made waves both stateside and internationally with two full-lengths on Planet Mu and a handful of EPs and remixes for Rush Hour, Ramp, and Swamp81. Now comes his debut full-length on Ninja Tune and here we find Falty DL tightening the reins on his brand of IDM meets garage/house, offering an accomplished outing of streamlined, emotion-driven house music. Unlike some of his previous material,
Hardcourage shifts the focus from low-end fullness to high-end refinement, and while the tracks shine with a clean production value, the album does lack a bit of that "umph" which could be considered one of his signature motifs. The jagged and abstract elements have been smoothed out as well, and
Hardcourage is left with sounds that seem to be pretty familiar fodder for many producers. Things do, however, get more interesting during the second half of the album during cuts like "For Karme" and "Finally Some Shit," where the darker side of FDL's production finally appears. Overall, though, the sound is uptempo, glossy and bright, with treated vocals and some vocal snippets adding a necessary human element to tracks that mostly seem aimed at the cosmopolitan dance floor.
-Daniel Givens
"Stay I'm Changed"
"Karben Dallas"
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