- Released in 2012, Bloom's "Quartz" set a high-water mark for the flood of instrumental grime that was to come. In a scene where producers compete to make their grooves ever more fractured, the Belfast artist's debut pretty much topped them all without losing an ounce of grime's punch and immediacy. The track is re-released here to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Mr. Mitch's Gobstopper label, and it remains as eyebrow-scorching as ever.
Less can be said of the accompanying VIP, whose additions—yet more IDM scree and yawning mid-bar silences—increase the sense of dislocation without upping the shock factor. Rabit's remix is similarly disappointing. It's a mess, actually: whether by design or dodgy mastering, its distorted drum barrage is almost unlistenably muddy. In the search for ever bolder forms, not all paths are fruitful.
Tracklist01. Quartz
02. Quartz VIP
03. Quartz (Rabit Remix)