'Thai Cubensis': A name that lends itself both to an exotic strain of psychedelic mushrooms and to the latest release by Techno/House DJ Butch and his recent collaborator, Sebastian Hohberg.
In fitting with its title and to the self-proclaimed agenda of their joint label, Otherside music, this EP sees Butch and Hohberg delve into into the ambient and 'psychedelic', exploring eastern/oriental soundscapes and moving away from the dance-orientated grooves of their previous releases.
For the last 5 or so years, Butch has built up a reputation as one of the most hardworking and musically encompassing DJ's on the House/Techno circuit. He holds residency at the prestigious Watergate in Berlin and has released a consistently strong and diverse output of material since 2008, both solo and alongside other big players in the scene (Virginia, Johnny D. and Ricardo Villalobos to name a few). In keeping with this reputation, his most recent output on Otherside, along with Hohberg, has been both qualitatively and quantitatively strong, and this year has already seen the release of 'Rebirth', a bass-heavy techno affair, rich with delicate and subtle sounds that take the track to a level beyond that of your standard dance tune.
On 'Thai Cubensis', the duo continue in the 'psych-acoustic', 'brain tickling' direction which Otherside Music advocates, moving further away from the sonic futurism of traditional Techno/House music and exploring the heritage of classical Indian music; sounds that have been closely associated with western psychedelic music since the 60's. The title track is 16 minute wander through an exotic soundscape of droning Tanpuras, squelches and eastern melodies which rise and merge with one another to create a rich wall-of-sound. The percussion, although tight and perfectly complimentary, is notably less prominent than on Rebirth. Instead, Butch and Hohberg use the 4/4 merely as a platform from which to expand the multifarious sound found on the EP. This puts a greater emphasis on atmosphere over rhythm and allows the listener to sit back and become overwhelmed by the layers of sound the duo introduce. This contributes to the 'mind-stimulating' nature of the record, pushing it further into trippy territory, lending itself as much to solipsism as it does to shuffling.
The final third of the EP features the Vinyl Speed Adjust Rremix of Thai Cubensis. This is a more stripped down, dance orientated version, with a focus on percussion and fewer melodic intricacies. Without the drone of the Tanpura or the lush layers of sound found on Thai Cubensis, this track is far more sparse and less elevating than its predecessor. Nonetheless, it's still a solid rework of the original and is a far more club-friendly number that's bound to find its way into Butch's live set (and probably many others) in the near future. There is also a second, 'Diferit' remix limited only to the vinyl pressing (But we haven't heard it yet).
The direction of Thai Cubensis, of Otherside Music, and of Butch and Hohberg, is clear. They mean to make expansive, 'mind-stimulating' music that pushes the kind of buttons not commonly associated with electronic dance music. The kind of buttons that trigger a more visceral and less physical reaction from their audience. On Thai Cubensis, they do just that. Of course, moving in this direction might isolate certain listeners (as is always the case when an artist alters the trajectory of their art) but, considering the quality and the diversity of Butch's work up to this point, I find it hard to imagine why someone would want, or even expect, more of the same.
Lewis Bassett
