After the release of »s/t« in 2022, the Hamburg trio Cloud Management, made up of Thomas Kopf, Sebastian Fokus and Ulf Schütte, decided to delve into a completely different genre with »V.A.«: this time with Dub. Together with Aaron Coyes, No UFO’s, Seekers International and Coco Em, they concentrated on selected tracks and reinterpreted them in an authentic dub style. Originally planned as a single, »V.A.« surprisingly turned into a full 12″ EP. The original version of »PST« features echoing vocals floating over a reggae bass line. The track »Halbtransparentes« combines soaring dub and bossa nova rhythms with rushing experimental elements. The album closes with »PST Version 2«, which unlike the rest of the album has very little dub apart from the rhythm: almost machine-like, the track begins with a hissing and humming synth crackle that almost resembles electrical noise. Tremulous, but no less precise, the song evolves into a pounding composition of polyrhythmic soundscapes, seemingly a legacy from the previous album »s/t«. »V.A.« is heterogeneous in the best sense of the word—refreshingly groovy and constantly in motion. It’s an energetic dub project that remains true to the trio’s minimalist style.
V.A.
