Warriors of the Dystotheque - Hashtag (Feat. Tony Jarvis & Si Hayden) - Stereo Stickman

Warriors of the Dystotheque Hashtag (Feat. Tony Jarvis & Si Hayden)

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Occupying a space adjacent to Massive Attack’s output circa Mezzanine, the intriguingly-named Warriors of the Dystotheque unleash Hashtag. The lead vocalist actually reminds of Massive Attack’s favoured vocalist Horace Andy, too. But that’s just a happy co-incidence, and also partly because of the way it’s been treated with reverb and delay.

There’s a dubby bass warming things up amongst stuttering, trippy percussion and (what sounds like) a bitcrushed psycho Rhodes sound, which come together to create a slightly intimidating, menacing atmosphere for the lead vocal to wander across. I presume the act’s name is an amalgamation of the words ‘Dystopian’ and ‘Discotheque’, and perhaps that’s why I interpret the music in this slightly darker light…

About two-thirds of the way through, the production becomes slightly less trippy and slightly more urgent; the bass pumps a little harder and louder and the soundscape intensifies. This brings the listener’s attention to focus on the signature sound of the piece – which is a heavily-treated syncopated vocal riff repeated hypnotically. Even when it ceases, to make way for the lead vocal, such is/was its presence that it feels like it’s still playing!

Then the track starts to break down, and a less treated vocal riff takes over and we get to focus on muted trumpet sounds and appreciate some more complex bass sounds which include some lovely organic fret noise and a very human performance that must have been previously hiding behind the mix.

All-in-all, it’s a heady concoction that lends itself to repeat listens. It’s hypnotic, confident, woozy  and classy. And that’s got to be a mix worth checking out, right?

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Chris Porter

Writer

As well as writing about music, Chris Porter is a songwriter, singer, producer & vocal coach. He has written for all manner of international artists, including Dagny, Dzeko, and hit the No.1 spot with Thailand’s Singto Numchok. His music has had thousands of placements on film, TV & radio all around the globe.

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