- The oddly named Chris E Pants is Chris Shively, AKA Chicago footwork purveyor Chrissy Murderbot. His two outings under the name have showcased Shively's less frenetic side, delving into soul and disco treated with some tongue-in-cheek ghetto flourishes—the facially focused sample that adorns "Pass It Around," for instance. For his debut on Hypercolour, this energy blends with the garage-house palette Alex Jones's label has cornered in the last couple of years.
Fallout isn't a record that revels in subtlety, and its strongest moments are when Shively wrestles with a fistful of ideas. In "Can't Shake Loose" it's when his gnarly acid squelch almost becomes a hardcore hoover, as drums clomp beneath police sirens, speeches and cheering crowds. On "Tare" it's when a groovy electro bassline is subjected to bongo breakdowns and a stilton-strong jazz funk riff. Closer "Judy Judy Judy" loops its title over warehouse-ready stabs, and then suddenly ups the ante with a throbbing bassline.
It's the same trick on "Fallout" and "Call Me You." Both seem like they're going to be rote garage-house jams, but Shively can't keep his face straight for long. The former morphs from Croydon basslines into shrieking rave synths, all stitched to a two-step shuffle, and the latter's sudden whistles betray a sense of humour. When so much house is narrow-focused and po-faced, an injection of anything-goes fun should be gratefully received.
トラックリスト01. Can't Shake Loose
02. Tare
03. Fallout
04. Call Me You
05. Judy Judy Judy