posted: 07.02.00
Keylime: An Exhibition
by Brian Miller.
I've known Trapper Markelz for a long time.
Knowing this, I feel obliged to reach both of you that read this site and exhibit his moniker: Keylime.

Under Reservation: his first creation, consisting of nice tribal loops traveling into a few nice acid patterns and beats. This track plays like a first creation, but shows definite promise. There are samples thrown in, and a basic ABA structure, but definitely worth listening nonetheless.

Running With Jaxx: Maybe it's because I'm familiar with every loop and sample in this piece, but I feel it's the weakest of the collection. Blade Runner samples over generic beats and simple synth lines with a few breaks thrown in for variation are all that can be found. Recommended for completists and sycophants only.

Eye Closed Light: Dead Poets Society, Tubular Bells, and rambling bass lines make up this piece. Very well composed and nicely flowing, this track is a bit slower than the previous few, meditating on warm pads and very pretty sounds with a muted beat carrying us along to summer afternoon bliss. This track would be a great nomination to go to sleep to (which is a high honor from me).

A Full Wine Glass: More layers and more variation are prevalent in this effort, going for a slightly more driven ambiance yet still including those blissful pads. I feel this track falters only with its strict formulaic approach: A then B then A and B. A song that, although not going so far as to be boring, still lacks something undisclosed.

A Message From Now: Much more entertaining in its crossing of deep menacing bass and very dry acid melodies than the previous track, A Message From Now succeeds where A Full Wine Glass fails. Energized by the tweaking bass lines and deepened by samples from A Thin Red Line, this track starts off dark, gets light, and ends up transcendent. One of my favorites for sure.

Into The Ground: A pure dance track, quickly switching from hard-driving acid tweaks to rigid cascading beats. This track lives with its energy and makes your legs tap on the floor as you listen to it in your office at work. The Evil Dead samples help as well.

Dream Within A Dream: To sum this piece up in one word: Phat. Phat bass line, phat beat, and phat samples. Taking from the likes of Basement Jaxx with a little Armand Van Helden, Keylime produces a flat out house track with trance overtones in the form of a few synths flying over the Princess Bride samples and acid patterns. The driving force behind this track is that bass line, and damn if I don't love it. My favorite of the bunch.

9090: Ok so everyone has to make a Matrix song. That being said, this track is pretty good, mostly because of the rhythm. I'm a sucker for kick-ass drum loops and this one delivers. Influences I gleam range from Prodigy's Voodoo People to Lords of Acid. Complete with a very nice cool-down period in the middle, this track shows serious growth from loop swapping to thought and planning, definitely worth keeping and sending to friends.

But don't take my word for it folks, read the artist's own thoughts on his subject here.

BRIAN MILLER
Relavent Links:
Keylime
Trapper Markelz