Above image credit: Fact Magazine
Genre boundaries are something that does not register in Mumdance’s vocabulary. His productions incorporate many aspects of UK electronic music and a track’s individual style is subjected to the environment they are heard. A great example of this “It’s Peak” from the Springtime EP on Unknown to the Unknown. It could be considered a strain of UK techno or be thought of as a piece of bass music (crudely yet aptly named). However, pigeonholing would be taking a step backwards.
The swinging drum pattern is the framework which this jolty tune is built upon. The introduction starts with punchy kick, running water and bleeps sets the atmosphere for the percussive syncopated melody to send it into disorder. Variations then ensue with incorporating dissonance and eventually a straight kick.
The sudden breakdown augments the space between each notes of the melody over a running water backdrop. The sense of rhythm is lost here until the bleeps from the introduction are restated and the drum patterns jump in as fast as it went. The track then continues in normal fashion until the gradual conclusion stripping the tune bare. It’s a nice reminder that stylistic labels are only useful when used in broadly and should never specifically define a piece music.