Steve Goodman has never been afraid of pressing reset and starting afresh. When the Hyperdub founder saw the dubstep scene that he had been such an integral part of become formulaic and commercialized he was quick to cut loose and explore the new, cutting-edge sonic avenues that the world had to offer. In doing so he discovered the Chicago Footwork sound and the raw energy akin to Jungle that had first motivated the Scotsman to head south in the late 90s. Forging a formidable friendship with the guys of the Teklife Crew, Goodman released DJ Rashad’s seminal debut album in 2013, Double Cup, and the world sat up and took notice of this raw, frenetic sound previously limited to Southsiders involved in dance battles, moving their feet at blistering pace.
Whilst 2014 should have seen the Hyperdub family celebrating their 10 year anniversary it quickly turned into a time of mourning. Rashad’s death of a drug overdose in April was followed 6 months later by Goodman’s longtime friend and collaborator Stephen Gordon aka The Spaceape with whom he released two albums and multiple EPs after a long struggle with cancer.
The emotional gap caused by this loss clearly had a profound effect on the making of Nothing. The void he was experiencing caricatured a particular aesthetic to the album, “I just wanted to make tracks, not overthink it. So it started as an excuse, an anti-concept, to not have to constrain what I was doing" Goodman explained in an interview with The Fader. This concept led the ex-philosophy lecturer to investigate the notion of nothing in both a historical and mathematical context. From here, the concept of creating something from nothing would inform Goodman’s creative process. Along with the artist Lawrence Lek he has developed an accompanying audiovisual show that will be based on “an evacuated, fully automated, luxury hotel called the Notel which has got weird quantum anomalies going on, like two things being in the same place at the same time.”
Goodman’s new album encompasses both footwork and the eerie sounds present in the Sino-grime that is so popular at the moment, finding an interesting compromise between the two different tempos. It seems that 150 BPM is the magic number for Goodman, a perfect mix of the 140 BPM Dubstep and Grime sounds and the 160 BPM of the frenzied jungle and footwork beats that have been so formative for Goodman. We hear the ghostlike presence of The Spaceape on 'Third Ear Transmission' in a spectral nod to the departed and although not featuring on the track itself, Kode9’s updated adaptation of '9 Samurai', '9 Drones', his distorted vocal chords come through make a haunting connection to the unknown and unseen. This "Notel" that Goodman speaks about is clearly occupied by kindred spirits and the supernatural, 'Respirator' hinting at the uneasy juxtaposition that terminal patients in hospital beds find themselves, teetering on the edge of life, the heavy breathing and cold industrial sounds showing no empathy but the harsh truth of life.
Whilst “Void” also enhances the expansive sense of melancholy apparent on the rest of the album with its icy synths and restless grimy beat, we see a more dancefloor focused tune, albeit interspersed with time signatures phasing in and out and frequent parts lacking any percussion whatsoever. Another reference to the ostensible emptiness throughout the album, 'Vacuum Packed' actually contains warmer, more optimistic vibes in its synths and lively piano riffs but still contains the inevitable, inescapable angst.
It is clear that the album was clearly a cathartic exercise for Goodman and through excising his demons has put out an album containing lots of introspection. In the same vein as much of his previous work, there are no standout songs that would ever be at home without the context of an album, but as an aesthetic concept, 'Nothing' hammers the nail straight on the head.
Ali Hares