Review: DJ Bone – FURTHER
After a 5 year hiatus, DJ Bone at last returns to his Subject Detroit label one final time, with new album FURTHER, the final chapter not just of his Beyond album trilogy, but of the 25 year history of Subject Detroit itself.
The 12-track slammer marks the end of the old and in with the new, cementing what has made him one of Detroit’s most potent talents, as well as an artist constantly intent on taking risks and evolving. FURTHER shows he is, always has been and always will be experimental, futuristic and timeless, weaving together genres, grooves and emotions in classic DJ Bone style.
Of the record, he says it is the product of decades of creative catharsis: “I want to convey how I feel at times as a creative: like I’m in a room screaming, coming up with dope ideas and one of a kind moves… but the room I’m in is soundproof and has no windows.
“The only way to know or experience what’s in there is to go inside. The outside of the room is not shiny or fancy so it’s pretty much ignored. People stumble upon the room in their quest for something uniquely different. And once inside their minds are blown.”
“FURTHER is the vessel for my true autonomy”, continues Bone. “Whenever you say FURTHER, it doesn’t stop. It never stops.”
Generations kicks things off with an electro-driven bassline that teasingly builds to tinny crescendos, while Poppa D’s Basement perfectly captures the heart of classic Detroit techno. On Now I See, Mission Accomplished and The Will To Overcome, triumphant builds swell and expand into long epics that satisfy the purist in us all.
The entire record is littered with twinkles, claps, kick drums and synths, pushing the limits of techno as well as his own creative inventions. It’s technically strategic, unpredictably purposeful, and an absolute delight to explore.
