Dong - Hylo / Suzuran (Lv & Quarta 330)

Two collaborative tracks from Quarta 330 and LV, made when the pair met the day after Hyperdub’s fifth anniversary party in November last year. These tunes exemplify the kind of meeting of minds where the best of both procucers comes to the surface, as Quarta 330’s 8-bit abstraction and melodic sense contrasts nicely with LV’s characteristic lush figures and shuffling rhythms. ‘Hylo’ finds 8-bit melodies made from rebuilt Gameboys and sonar-like bleeps weaved into the crunchy snap of a reverse drum beat and warm chords, breaking down into a sonorous motif before stepping up the pace once more. It’s an energetic mix of brittle and lush sounds. On the AA side, ‘Suzuran’ is a joint remix of Quarta 330’s own remix of Japanese chiptunes artists Dong. LV places the slurring space pop of the Japanese vocoder vocal melody inside a remix constructed from syncopated drums and offkey bleeping patterns. The results are catchy and alien, as melodic sweetness is juxstaposed with the tension of the setting