anonymous / unknown

Nude

LAST 10 COPIES. It seems that half the records we get in these days are credited to 'Unknown', but this absoluetly shocking little seven comes to us from the hands of a truly enigmatic character who's already been involved with at least one other anonymous project this year subject to feverish adulation and speculation from the dubstep and Wonky communities - so it's up to you to join the dots. In any case, it turns out to be one of the best things we've heard all year, foregoing digital prowess for an absolutely genius line in understatement and attention to detail. The 7" is basically a brain fuzzingly narcotic and woozy revision of Radiohead's gorgeous 'Nude', given a total overhaul with GHB slo-mo timing dropping the tempo to a lethargic bum shuffle, slowly building this already gorgeous song up from a tenderly fingered bassline pestered by a humming shortwave signal, with a beat too depressed to even raise a finger to flick it off it's shoulder. And then Thom drops in, almost duetting with the high end frequency but downpitched slightly to sound more morose yet life affirming than ever, creating the perfect ambience for a spot of introspection. The bass subtly calcifies into a beat, and we're allowed one moment of shining optimistic glory when the strings pierce the darkness to reveal a tender streak of emotive promise, but it's all too brief and we're plunged back into darkness and sweet sorrow. It's simply one of the most heart rending revisions we've heard all year - and another compelling blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment to top off an astonishing year in music. 300 copies for the world, no sleeping!