12″ vinyl / digital download, Domestic Records, 2009
www.myspace.com/rubiklondon
“Brevity is the soul of wit” is a saying that also applies to small bite-sized releases like this limited edition three-track 12″ by the relatively obscure London-based artist Rubik. “Carrion EP” is one of those things that have a touch of the unexpected, hinting at a lot of potential and quite a few ideas, but pretty much stopping short of showing the artist’s failings – decidedly an advantage of the EP/maxi-single over the full-length format.
Side A, “Carrion” is a strange but balanced hybrid of movie sampling, techno and metal with a hint of a psytrance influence underneath. While not innovative, it can still have some appeal and is sure to find use as very reliable DJ material if properly used in the correct setting. By comparison, the B-side is even more of an oddity, beginning with a quirky and very short acoustic guitar tribute to Bach, titled “Substance”. A poorer offering by comparison with side A, “Shadow” begins in a somewhat uneven fashion but eventually develops into something that finds parallel in breakcore madness (albeit with a steady beat). Nevertheless, it would certainly benefit from additional production and giving more relevance and intensity the beats.
In the end, “Carrion” can be something of a hit or miss depending on who listens to it and in what setting. And while evaluating an artist solely on the strength of three tracks can be unfair, my guess is that Rubik has ideas and potential to be able to pull some interesting stunts in the future.
[6.5/10]
— Miguel de Sousa