Pitchfork

Dan Frampton, a.k.a. Dusk, and Pitchfork contributor Martin Clark, a.k.a. Blackdown, have been churning out solid 12" singles for a minute. On first listen, the obvious thing to say is that this London-based production team's debut, Margins Music, is for fans of a Burial-style approach. But it's really much less moody than this, though, and the 2-step feel of "Focus" is an example of a different attitude.

A clip from the film 1984 opens the track, saying, "the resistance is very real". Too true. From the outset, it's evident that the tune does resist falling too far into the darkness. There's a definite cinematic eeriness here, as demonstrated by the strings that enter into the mix halfway through, but it's up-tempo enough to make it brilliantly danceable. It deserves to be turned up very loud. 

[from Margins Music; due August 2008 on Keysound]