Curating a volume in the Nuggets series of electronic sound-library compilations must have inspired
Luke Vibert, because his next record out the gate reflects the influence of '70s avant-electronic pop producers like
Roger Roger or
Nino Nardini.
YosepH,
Vibert's first record for Warp (the label that would've been the natural home for any of his previous works), is both his starkest LP and one of his most melodically warped, a combination that puts him right in Nuggets territory. Granted, you wouldn't find a white-coated pop technician like
Jean-Jacques Perrey quoting
Zapp or indulging in some of the rawest 303 acid lines heard on any record since the heyday of Chicago's finest jackers. For the first time in several years,
Vibert avoids overt references to hip-hop; he sticks mostly to tight breakbeat percussion, favors acid or electro effects, and steps up to the mic on several tracks for ace robotic vocals along the lines of
Kraftwerk-
Computer World. It may not be apparent from the above description, but
YosepH is hardly a record in stylistic lockstep: "NokTup" is the most immediate, catchy track from
Vibert since
Wagon Christ's
Throbbing Pouch, and "Ambalek" is a storm of white noise preceded by a cheeky sample (the classic "This is a journey into sound...").
YosepH proves most of all that
Vibert continues to make compelling tracks with familiar tools, and shows he can keep up with talented newcomers like
Dabrye and
Prefuse 73.