Tom Hang The New World

Tom Hang is the solo electronic work of Lobster Theremin label owner Jimmy Asquith. Despite being ridiculously busy either quaking dancefloors across the globe and flowing into the world a continuous catalogue of acclaimed electronic heat, Jimmy has found time to follow up his ‘Tidy Bedroom Versions’ release with more original tracks from the heavily dusted harddrive.

The record opens with ‘The New World’, where there is no space for preparation or adaptation; instead we are plunged straight into a fast evolving, rapid fire other. Despite this disorientating descent it doesn’t take ears and minds long to nestle within the groove and across the tracks seven minutes we settle into the escapism of Hang’s bodily mantra and slowly lose ourselves to this new world.

‘Chronic Delirium’ strides into focus with an exploratory intent, evoking images of a lone body battling a windswept lonely planet. There is an overwhelming sense of anticipation within the tracks pulse, and a dizzying excitement within Hang’s ever shifting percussive experiments to create this state of musical delirium. This is perhaps the moment of realisation that within this new world there is a crossroads signing towards potential encroaching solitude and despair, or a leap of faith towards seeking comfort within embracing that which is completely unknown.

The record closes with the mammoth ‘In the Deep’. Across the twelve shifting minutes Hang continues this idea of the human relationship with new zones and new experience, but here Hang seems to convey the idea that the struggle is over, there is no further bodily or mental resistance to change, dystopia has captured the spirit and embrace is the only option when you’re in this deep. Buzz saw synth attacks collide with gloriously subtle yet uplifting old school bubbling melodies before the deepest techno pulse imaginable swings eyes instantly back to the floor.

‘The New World’ is a sphere where pummelling Techno burners teeter on the edge of freedom before winding and convulsing themselves into varying mutant zones that straddle the lines between experimental statement and tightly locked grooves to create a record of pure dystopian dancefloor heat. There is an odd and refreshing unity here within the strict, bare, functional, consuming percussion and the heady, playful, and freeform nature of Hang’s melodic grip.