Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

Speedy J

Loudboxer

Label: Mute

2104
_adam_ by Adam Anonymous August 1st, 2002

For all its liberal attitudes and lenient drug legislation, Holland doesn’t exactly lead by example when it comes to globe-crushing music. Rotterdam’s veteran beat manipulator Speedy J isn’t about to change all that, but at least he’s on the right track.

‘Loudboxer’ is undeniably from the boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-ba-ba-boom school of techno – to the uninitiated, every song is ostensibly identical – but an absence of variety is compensated for by throat-grabbing intensity and enough energy to power a thousand glowsticks.

The strange crossbreed of almost commercial, simultaneously dark, air-punching fodder shape-shifts into rhythmical and initially impenetrable walls of undulating bass.

From the first minute, migraine-inducing resonance kicks in and there’s little let-up from there onwards, with flowing transitions between tracks making for an atmosphere more usually located on a mix album. Indeed, for best results slap ‘Loudboxer’ in the stereo at your local dance establishment and effortlessly bluff as a seasoned turntable maestro, without a cross-fader in sight.

‘Cement’ is Two Lone Swordsmen minus experimentation, a pointer towards flimsy electronica connections that are mainly steamrollered under an infinite stream of bass.

As the reverberations of an idling jet engine go, ‘Sevntrak’ hits about Mach 3 with a mere flex of its muscles; a balls out inhibition-relaxing assault punctuated by acid gunshots. There isn’t much this side of pilled-up tribal drummers to rival it. ‘Krikc Live’ meanwhile sounds like Speedy has invited a few mates round for an impromptu knees-up.

‘Loudboxer’ is almost certainly awesome while smashed out of your brains. But then what isn’t? Sober and in the cold light of day, it competently stands up as quality hard techno, but in terms of human warmth falls almost as flat as the topography of Speedy J’s homeland. Clog-rockin’ beats, anyone?

  • 5
    Adam Anonymous's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing



Left-arrow

Sufferkiss at Kentish Town Verge, Camden Town, Tue 30 Jul

Mobback

The Vines at Camden Electric Ballroom, Camden, Thu 19 Feb

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Drowned in Sound's Albums of the Year 2025

  • 106149
  • news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145

    news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143
  • news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141

    news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139
  • Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138

    Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137
  • Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
MORE


    feature


    A Month in Records: August 2008

  • 33467
  • DiScover


    DiScover: My Brightest Diamond

  • 38509

    Interview


    DiS Meets Tori Amos: "You have to be able to si...

  • 95677
  • DiScover


    DiScover: Lykke Li

  • 36032

    Interview


    Neko Case: "You would never deny that a lioness...

  • 92081
  • Staff-generated


    Year 2000 - A Playlist of Songs Wot Soundtracke...

  • 53565

    Interview


    Interview: Bjork talks piracy, punk, Lady Gaga ...

  • 79700
  • Interview


    Best Case Scenario: DiS Meets dEUS

  • 97106
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND