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Spectre, "The Last Shall Be First"
Spectre, aka Skiz Fernando, was at the forefront of the sadly short-lived ambient dub/illbient/whatever genre hybrid that popped up in the middle to late part of the 20th century. While many have come and gone that were associated with the loosely defined style, Fernando and his seminal Wordsound label have endured, continually releasing music that may not have been commercially viable, but always retained artistic integrity and conceptual complexity. On his tenth solo record, his trademark sinister moods with infectious beats continues. But best of all, it sounds just as fresh as his debut The Illness did some 21 years ago.
I must confess some level of bias towards this genre that Fernando was one of the first practitioners of, as it was one of the first musical trends that I, as an isolated teenager, felt as if I was there as the seeds were being sown.My first exposure was via the beat oriented projects of Mick Harris and Justin Broadrick (Scorn and Techno Animal, respectively), but I began exploring further.I am not sure if it was Fernando’s guest vocals on Techno Animal’s Unmanned 12" ora contribution to the Electric Ladyland compilations, but I soon found myself checking out his work as Spectre and other side projects on his Wordsound label, which was one of the first that laid the foundations that connected the grim UK post-industrialists with the avant hip-hop scene that was burgeoning at that time.I am also pretty sure it was something I wrote a review of during my first (embarrassing) stint as a music critic.
Even with historical importance aside, Fernando had an impeccable ability at the time to blend strong beats with bleak, harrowing instrumentation; a sound that channeled the best of the early RZA productions but taken to the next level.The opening moments of "Enter the Holy Terror" make it abundantly clear that he has continued to work that style.Sinister hums and deep guttural chants lead into subterranean rhythms and oppressive production, setting the mood immediately to "dark".With the addition of dramatic samples and Fernando’s own processed spoken word delivery; the stage is set perfectly well.
In some ways the mood he establishes on The Last Shall Be First is not too far removed from the worlds of black metal and noise, because he piles on the dark grimness to just the right amount, setting the mood but still keeping an underlying sense of self-aware playfulness that ensures it never becomes self-parody.On a piece such as "Darkstep 7", sci fi noir dialog samples are peppered throughout blippy rhythms and catchy beats, keeping the tension while the mix is comparably less oppressive."Osiris Rising" has a similarly less dense mix, instead he emphasizes a funkier hip hop drum loop and tasteful synth accents.
One striking thing about this album, especially compared to the earliest Spectre releases, is just how diverse the sounds and instrumentation has become, while remaining thematically tight.The snappy beats and ragged synth leads of"The Annunaki's Return" drift more into grimy techno territory, but its jerky overall structure keeps it completely unique."Jamrock" has the inclusion of dancehall toasting and lo-fi synth noises, coming together like a truly futuristic form of dub.For "Wipe Out", Fernando goes all in with heavy electronics and a distorted bass guitar like lead to make for possibly the most abrasive moment on the record, but a brilliant one via its sharp sputtering beats and extraterrestrial samples smattered throughout.
As Spectre, Skiz Fernando has not lost his penchant for underground hip-hop productions, a sound that may not have caught on at a large scale, but one that has remained faithful since he began the Wordsound label over two decades ago (with a little help from underground stalwart Bill Laswell).At this point in his career though, he is still making music as fresh and vital as when he first started, and with a true focus and dedication to his art that shines through brilliantly throughout The Last Shall Be First.Even with his side career as a food critic and purveyor of Sri Lankan spices and recipes, his dedication to tense beats and sinister, yet earworm grade electronic atmospheres is unparalleled.
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