Slugabed - Moonbeam Rider Album Review

Brighton is known for being quirky and out there, sometimes way out there past Neptune and towards the Kuiper Belt. For Brighton based Gregory Feldwick, aka Slugabed, his music epitomises that analysis.

His album, 'Moonbeam Rider' is titled quite fittingly to the space themed lunacy that possesses his fruityloops 4 (what he makes his music on).

Being imaginative and original, this unconventional producer blends any form of contemporary bass music into futuristic chaos that is hard to digest.

Much of the album would not go amiss in a computer game or a film. Something that would feel right at home in a Final Fantasy game.

Feldwick once said that his music resembled laser battles from the future. He isn't far off.

'Moonbeam Rider' honestly sounds like someone had walked in to the studio, found the sound effects machine and some samples, snorted some speed and gone Pete Tong.

Sometimes it works, and when it does, it's only for a few brief moments. You don't have to wait long before you are completely bedazzled again.

At times, you can here elements of trance creeping into the tune, but then something so peculiar, like the sound of a cartoon character getting hit over the head with a boulder will sneak in and constantly bombard the track with the noise until he can find something even more random. Maybe a lightsaber beating a Ewok to death!

If you don't believe me, just listen to track two, 'Heck Flea'.

If Daft Punk calls their music 'Robot Rock', this is Martian madness!

The opening track 'Moonbeam Rider' begins with a magical noise that can take your mind many places - if you allow it too. It's quite nostalgic for computer game lovers, who I'm sure, will find some parts of the song similar.

After what can only be described as an intro, the song breaks in with a funky beat and the tune progresses well as the bass becomes deeper, almost dub step like.

To understand what influences and inspires the young producer would be fascinating enough. 'My sense of smell comes and goes' is definitely from Super Mario 1. Gaining power ups and sliding down pipes, collecting coins, the sounds are all there, only with some hard bass thrown over top and funkier beat.

'Tomorrow morning' is the most upbeat track on 'Moonbeam Rider', much faster and gets you moving, although by this time in the album, it's honestly hard to get motivated by the space age sounds that are now just getting tedious.

'Nu Krak swing' concludes the album and contrasts to the former with some interesting and funky 80's hip-hop, almost 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air' esque' But again, is ruined by the same new age sounds that get overplayed by the end.

Apologies for the language, but this maybe the most fu***d up and random album I have ever heard.

5/10

Adam Holden