Suburban Knight - Hi8tus (Deeptrax)

 

Title: Suburban Knight 

Artist: Hi8tus

Label: Deeptrax

Cat Number: DPTX-032

Genre: Techno

1: Far Far Away

2: French Sisaque

3: FMFIHS

4: 2 Different Worlds

5: Spiritual Ride

6: Thy Will Be Done

7: Machete

8: Stalker Turned Electro

In a recording career that spans twenty five years, this is Suburban Knight’s third album. And I’m pleased to say it’s not in the least bit experimental or an exercise in art for art’s sake. It’s raw, honest techno and electro just the way it should be, which is deep, melodic and unmistakably of Detroit. For when it comes down to bare fundamentals there aren’t really that many artists from the motor city who can be said to properly embody its essence as well as James Pennington. Pound for pound how many? I could list the names of the (other) various members of UR and others, but the scene is relatively small, while its influence has a global reach. So, I for one am happy that a record like this is still being made in 2022 and that Suburban Knight is a patient chap. As for the music, it’s largely a collection built on break beats,  either in the electro vein or the more fluid. The former is represented by ‘2 Different Worlds’ and ‘Stalker Turned Electro’, while the latter has ‘Far Far Away’ and ‘Spiritual Ride’ to call on. Falling in between the cracks is the jerky ‘Machete’, and the most interesting track on the album, the dark, reflective ‘FMFIHS’. While the loping ‘French Sisaque’ and ‘ Thy Will Be Done’ are possibly the two most straight up examples of techno here’. All in all though this is a dark, moody and slightly disturbing collection of tunes, all of which have great mixing potential and individuality. Pennington has distilled his sound across a range of tracks that provide a concise evocation of where he is at right now. It’s not a happy place by the sound of things.