Fear Paralysis

Album review

Following more than a decade's worth of singles, including several scorchers on Chris Liebing's CLR label, Rebekah's debut full-length arrived on the legendary Soma Quality Recordings in 2017. Rebekah hails from Birmingham, England, a city well known for its hard, pounding, relentless style of techno, and while her music wouldn't be possible without the likes of Surgeon and Regis, she's clearly developed her own style. Several of these tracks are more atmospheric and detailed than her earlier productions, and seem to contain more depth to them. She doesn't rely entirely on 4/4 kick drums throughout -- just listen to the inventive "1997 Reprise," which teases stop-start beats before the broken rhythm locks in, and smeared retro-rave synths join the track's slightly Meat Beat-esque bassline. While it seems like a cliché for techno producers usually responsible for dozens of club-oriented singles to release a more experimental full-length, this one works. The aggressive club tracks are here, especially excellent singles such as the fittingly paranoid "Anxiety" and the tense, storming "Code Black," but downtempo experiments like the reflective, rain-soaked "Requiem for a Dream" sound just as good, and fit in with the listening experience. The track titles, as well as the "breathe/exhale" vocals during "Breathe," make the album seem like a therapy session, and while there is a cathartic element to the album, it ends up being exhilarating and joyous more than anything else.
© Paul Simpson /TiVo