D/R/U/G/S – Love/Lust

Mystery, anonymity and cryptic messages are all the rage it seems lately. The once imperative need for bands to stand against a decaying interior or wall graced with council estate grafitti, glaring a mixture of come-hither and angst has long since evaporated. Now, bands see it fit for their PR shots (if they have any) to be shrouded in a sense of allure and facade, relying on the good old ‘show them less and they’ll want to see more’ pyschology theory. Don’t get me wrong it works, but as always, you need the ‘tunes’, so to speak, to reinforce this yearning for more.

And while D/R/U/G/S only have one promo shot of one guy (thought they were a duo..?) and an name that makes internet research hard to hand. All is forgiven, because thankfully for them ’tunes’ seem to be very much D/R/U/G/S’ forte. Their debut Love/Lust borrows heavily from the long-since established ambient house genre (four-to-the-floor-beat, synth pads and edited vocal cuts are all present), but it’s the irrepressible emotive effect that each song has that impresses the most – transcending their music above the tag of 80s patische. Each song being laced with enough serontonin to cure a manic depressant and house music conventions to boot.

There’s not much here, only three tracks, but that’s plenty to establish the D/R/U/G/S sound. Title track and opening salvo ‘Love/Lust’ is a perfect mix of propulsive rhythms and contemplation inducing atmospherics. The beginning of ‘Velodrome 1′ may belong on one of those chill-out compliations that were selling like hotcakes a few years back, not exactly a bad thing, but it’s all the better for it when the track effortlessly morphs into a techno-fitedy dancefloor filler. ’Veldrome 2′ is an intriguing finale, the most experimental thing here; industrial churnings, relentless keyboard chords, pounding beats and bleeps and gloops stolen from 80s arcade video games all combine to create an accomplished albeit logically-baffling track. There’s too many dynamic and melodic shifts to discuss – sometimes words won’t suffice - yet somehow the track manages to come full circle, fading out just how it faded in.

So I leave Love/Lust knowing nothing more about D/R/U/G/S then what I did since the first spin but with my interest piqued, and with tracks as good as these it looks like I’m willing up put up with this mystery shtick just a little bit longer.