By: Jordan Calvano

When Americans think about Australia, they think about the Great Barrier Reef, Steve Irwin, didgeridoos, Crocodile Dundee, and the thousands of convicted criminals deported by the British government to that lonely chunk of land ever so long ago. Well there are some new sheriffs in town, and they go by the name Blunt Instrument.

Luke Latimer and Rocco Mico out of Brisbane have been smashing the glitch-hop landscape, of late. They bring to the table a unique blend of powerful beats and head-banging samples. In just 12 months they produced two Beatport top 10 tracks, a remix EP that landed at the #1 spot on the glitch-hop chart for 3 weeks, and a top 10 best seller on Addictech.com. Along with their potent originals that include collaborations with K Theory, they have dropped massive remixes of artists like DJ Shadow, Love and Light, Kimbra, and The White Stripes.

With their latest Simplify Recordings release, The Pocket, the duo strikes with guns blazing and swords drawn, and maybe a couple blunt instruments if all else fails.

Opener “Twitch” features an epic intro that continuously adds musical layers and builds on itself until the funk is finally released. The song incorporates ample glitch-hop bass tones and than sprinkles samples from Jay-Z’s Black Album on top to create a massive tune that features incredible amounts of energy.

Title track “The Pocket” includes emphatic turntablism and unloads a fireball of groove that will keep the crowd rocking out. A continually changing pace drives this song from start to finish while chopping up the catchy lines “Rock up in the disco.”

The final track “Take the K Train” and is nothing short of an epic saga that begins at a rainy train station, and than quickly turns into a wild adventure. The open chords produce an eerie and awe inspiring effect that will make the listener believe they are in for a slower track, until all hell breaks loose when some of the more grimy tones on the EP are released. The train eventually returns to the tracks in the end, but the passengers will never forget their journey on the K Train.

Blunt instrument strikes with heavy force on their latest release, and proves they are becoming a staple in the Australian EDM scene. Be on the lookout for new tunes from these fellows, because they are always whipping up fresh magic in the studio.