Review: Pulseve - Magnet

“30 minutes of unconventional drum and bass” claims the press release, in reference to its two instrumental components rather than the UK club scene’s genre of the hour. In reality, Pulseve’s sound resides in closer company to the likes of Zu and 37500 Yens; restless drum beats that tug and relax the rhythm like a piece of elastic, while bass slides and groans in spotless sync with each punctuation of bass drum and cymbal. The duo of Pulseve are interlocked and calculated in movement, yet don’t trade in the sweat and ferocity of a good jam in favour of loveless mechanical process – Magnet sounds as much a fuel for an exhausting live performance as a candy for the ears and speakers.

“Kissing Like Piranhas” crashes out of the gloom with angry stabs of low end (stop-start gut-punches battling with the bass harmonics that dance like glacial phantoms over the top), while the likes of “Night Skydiving” shimmers and rolls like comets embarking on a wondrous aerodynamic display. Dark stretches of melody grant Pulseve intermittent respites – taking the velocity down a touch to let the duo’s joints recharge – but the attention to detail is never eased in the process, and Magnet’s success lies in its unwavering dedication to each rhythmic turn and tumble.