- In his interview with Resident Advisor, Jacob Martin said he was someone who liked to make an entrance. In a musical sense, his exuberant personality often shines through. "Amor Fati," from a 2014 Dnuos Ytivil 12-inch, would be the life of any party, and the central riff on "Burned Into Memory," from last year's Berceuse Heroique 12-inch, had an outsized swagger. On Body Drive, he pulls back on cocksure gestures. He's not showing a softer side, necessarily, but the music is more reserved than usual.
The title track works its magic slowly. For the first four minutes, keyboards prod and acoustic plucks circle in tight formation. When the first kick drum lands after more than four minutes, the track stays steady—there's no cliff-edge breakdown, no sudden left turn. But Martin uses clever details, including sudden pitch shifts, spinbacks (especially effective when he phases the strings) and crunchy gunshot samples.
"A Break In The Building" and "Personality Shift," a pair of ambient tracks, further pare down Martin's sound. The former is the more contemplative of the two and has an eerie stillness. A generous reverb on the chimes and choral notes evokes a cathedral. "Personality Shift" suggests a sense of peace, too, though not at first. Its arpeggiated lead commands the opening minutes, before Martin soothes the music's urgency with warm and comforting bass notes. Even when creating restful moods, his music is exciting.
TracklistA1 Body Drive
A2 A Break In The Building
B1 Personality Shift