REVIEW: Levon Vincent - Levon Vincent

One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.

It’s one of the most well known collective of words in the world - utilized by countless professions and people. Musicians, DJ’s, drummers, producers and alike all rely upon it – which probably explains why Paris Hilton never made it as a DJ. The collective’s roots in music are deeply imbedded – and Levon Vincent’s self-titled LP solidifies this notion immensely.

Given Vincent’s previous works were wholly single releases, expectations for his first LP were massive. With ten-minute thumpers like Woman is The Devil to compete with, it was assumed the album would be a collective of techno tracks destined for the nearest MDMA fuelled sweaty room. However – after the first track of the album, namely, The Beginning, I was left with a rather bitter taste in my mouth. It wasn’t quite as large as his other singles – it was nowhere near as hip shaking, as moving, and as intense – it was clear he had changed gears and was utilizing the album medium to create a whole, rather than unrelated tracks as his singles were.

The first two tracks never really kick past second gear – while its not until the third track that we see shit begin to really happen. The first minute honestly sounds like a production line – everything crashing – everything thumping and everything happening in that constant one, two, three, four. It’s repetitive, but with the repetitiveness we see the individual layers shine through, we get to learn their role in the song and we get to get into their rhythm. The lengthiest track on the LP, at a relatively speaking small 11 minutes, Launch Ramp To Tha Sky, is a highlight. Its enchanting and spontaneous xylophone-like melody is a dramatic change from the industrial plant prior. And indeed, while the contrast is a big one, it’s pleasant to hear Vincent change things up a little bit, rather than sticking to one constant collective of instruments and industrial sound throughout the LP.

Black Arm W/Wolf, is a proper journey utilizing the aforementioned counting method insanely well. Layer upon layer are added and reduced to create a whole, and the bouncing synth is guaranteed to get your foot tapping at the bare minimum. Anti-Corporate Music, which has been played by artists as massive as Dixon during his live sets, is another thumper. The echoing, shaking crunch is a sound immensely complex that moves and shakes in a beautiful way. The body moves perfectly with the shudder, which probably explains why it’s being saturated by DJ’s.

While album closer “Women is an Angel” is most likely a nod to his enormous single, it closes the whole album perfectly. It encapsulates his style, his use of synths and kicks, alongside the occasional hi-hat. This album is one of the most enchanting and deep of the year, and with each listen more delicate layers open up, sounds you didn't hear the first time, or even the twentieth. Who knew so much could be packed within the seemingly simple one, two, three and four.

Words by Matt