Gydra’s new EP, Killparty, was released on Eatbrain yesterday, November 13, on a Beatport exclusive, and it may not be what some Eatbrain fans expect from the label or from the Russian duo. It’s been two years since Menfort and Bes have released on the neurofunk label; since their Cyborg EP, they’ve run the gamut of neuro labels. Releasing on Blackout, Bad Taste, Dutty and even the Renegade Hardware Final Chapter compilation, Gydra now return to Eatbrain with an unexpected funky style but no shortage of neuro madness.
The title track on Killparty is probably the most surprising on the EP, with a sort of 90s techno flair to the intro, which also has some grandiose, Pendulum-style horns. The meat of this track will remind fans of early 00s techstep in that the beat and snares are very steppy and there are number of sort of swirling, mechanical flourishes (think the scary parts of The Matrix). The synths are all ’90s techno, however, so this combination makes the track retro, funky and neuro all at once.
The steppy, early ’90s neurofunk/techstep-style drums continue throughout the four-track EP, but that’s the only unifying theme. “Ikra,” the lead track on Killparty, for example, has a high-pitched synth which sounds a bit Asian-inspired (mostly due to the reverb behind it) but it also has two alternating sets of sub bass. This gives it a sinister neuro edge even though there’s a rolling bassline creating a highly danceable groove. “Problem,” meanwhile, is unique due to its unprecedented number of breaks before the full beat kicks in and album closer “Primitive Instinct” has so much grinding sub bass that listeners will truly wonder how the beat can still be so steppy.
If neurofunk fans, especially those in the U.S. have not heretofore been paying attention to Gydra, now is the time. As the genre is in a bit of a transition and many neurofunk fans have been wondering where the “funk” has gone, Gydra may have the answer: it’s in their beats and basslines.
Killparty is out now on Eatbrain and can be purchased exclusively on Beatport.