When one signs up to www.altsounds.com’s now famed goody bags, you have to take the good with the bad. One week you may end up with the combined efforts of the dogs dinner and cats rear end, another week you may end up with something that stirs the soul and enlightens the intelligence. With 2562’s, aka Dave Huisman’s, "Unbalance" I can safely declare I have been enlightened. Being familiar with both the record label, Tectonic and the artist 2562 I had the feeling that I was in for a treat.

After a gentle, reverberated, hissy, gritty and noise laden ‘Intro’, Dave Huisman begins his aural workout with ‘Flashback’, a hypnotic, rolling and altogether sexy number in which 2562 brings out depth charge sonar noises, pitched up analogue hi hats and a drum and snare shuffle that modulate their way into your brain. ‘Lost’ is a much more laid back affair, with heavily effected vocals twisting in and out of recognition, settling on top of a now customary 2562 percussion layout and rich, warm bass. "Unbalance" starts to warm up considerably in the middle section, starting with ‘Like A Dream’; with its extremely rich bass tones and dub-step beat, the track invigorates and investigates in a way, that dare i say it, only a Dutchman knows how too.

Title track ‘Unbalance’ is where we begin to see a slightly darker, edgier and more urgent side to 2562 who makes good use of texture and industrial sounds while stuttering his percussion and settling into rhythms that would set any club, room, or party alight in its evolution. Modulating, synthetic percussion and stabbed bass warbles ensure that the ride through the title track is delicately laden with space - a space that allows the listener to breathe - allowing the listener to become enveloped in the aural onslaught; ‘Unbalance’ is a fine piece indeed.

‘Yes/No’ is where 2562 makes a definitive nod towards his Detroit counterparts; sweeping industrial toned pads and offbeat synthetic percussion settle into a sinister tone, whilst remaining at heart warm and rich. There is a certain sparsity throughout "Unbalance" which is very much welcomed and the restraint shown points to a mature, confident and unhurried artist.


There is a clear sense of direction with "Unbalance" and it is obvious that a great deal of time and effort has gone into creating the warm and emotion laden textures that are tweaked and twisted through sublime percussion work. ‘Narita’ is a prime example as explicit tribal drums course heavily through the piece while a sub bass growls as space aged pads swirl the listeners headspace into serenity. 2562 also shows a slightly different side to his bow with the definitively 80’s inspired break-beat ‘Love In Outerspace’. Here we see the immense restraint at work again as heavily LFO’d bass sits delicately in the mix instead of being thrust to the forefront as is so misguidedly customary these days.

2562’s "Unbalance" is a fine effort especially as it is only Dave Huismann’s second album. The listen was immensely enjoyable and I wanted there to be some real emotionally drenched moments, perhaps some ethereal breaks, melodic structures or more dynamic rhythmic evolution but, alas, no album is perfect. I am sure that "Unbalance" is a real grower. One that deepens and surprises more with each and every listen. Perhaps 2562 designed that sparsity of emotion and flavour; the music is supposed to inspire mood and memory rather than explicitly force it.