Send "Pariah " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 As far as songwriting is concerned, starting with the vocal melody and working your way from there isn't exactly a novel concept. Regardless, it was a bit of a surprise when Arthur Cayzer, the UK post-dubstepper who works as Pariah, revealed to me that his beat-building process usually begins with a vocal sample: "I find that vocals make it much easier for me to connect emotionally with a tune, so I guess it makes sense that I have taken to using them in almost every tune I've written."I've never really thought of the genres Cayzer works in as being particularly voice-centered, but maybe it's time for that to change. He counts Burial and James Blake, two like-minded artists who also showcase some sort of prominent vocal style in their work, as influences-- and that influence is definitely apparent to a point on Cayzer's debut EP, Safehouses. Save for the closing title track, all of the cuts here feature vocal samples in some way, whether it be the chopped-up cries within "Crossed Out" or the ghost-in-the-machine moans folded within "Railroad". Cayzer isn't just an effective imitator, though; he's doing something distinctly different from his peers here in terms of presentation. Burial shrouds his melodies in bomb-shelter lockstep rhythms, while Blake usually turns vocal lines into putty in his hands, amorphously draping them over whatever screwed rhythm he's dumbing out to in his own mind; Cayzer, by contrast, presents his melodies nakedly, with precious few effects applied. This stylistic approach is aided by the pristine production at work here; every rhythmic hit and clapping backbeat sounds crisp and sharp-- almost the polar opposite of the bitrate-blown terror-juke of Werk Discs head Actress' fascinatingly complex release earlier this year, Splazsh....full text |
| Residentadvisor |
| Do you still get docked points for being derivative when you better the source material? London's Pariah made his name on a soul-fueled 12-inch for legendary techno label R&S, two tracks that were impressively well-produced but didn't exactly break the mold. His R&S follow-up is something much bigger, a double EP that subsumes the diverse world of UK bass music into one glossy package but does little to expand or build on its borrowed foundations. Pariah is nothing more than a recycler and polisher of dubstep trends, a problem highlighted by opening track "The Slump," which literally sounds like it was built from sounds taken from other producers. Those metallic rimshots are from Mount Kimbie's "Vertical," and stabbing bass and trickling percussion nicked from any number of Ramadanman productions. By the same token, "Crossed Out," subsists on the same euphorically smooth ascension and perfectly-polished vocal samples as so many other "Hyph Mngo"-soundalikes. It's far from daringly original, but Pariah's pads are so liquid smooth, the vocals so perfectly positioned, the drums just the right amount of springy, it's impossible not to get pulled into his enveloping and immersive soundscapes. Occasionally Pariah stumbles onto something unique, as with "Railroad," the EP's shortest but most vibrant track. Starting off as a typical Burial invocation, 8-bit clouds roll in and overwhelm the track in liquid computer funk. The brewing storm threatens ominous destruction, manifesting itself in brief eruptions of junglist breaks as every element sloshes and careens in what feels like suspended chaos. But it's a contained chaos held firmly between Pariah's surprisingly expert hands, and his measured control of every sound and melodic motif means that the result is emotionally overwhelming rather than claustrophobic. Similarly, the oddball "C-Beams" focuses on a lurching piano that attempts to maintain momentum wading through an unpredictable beat, with seemingly little regard for conventional rhythm....full text |
| Factmag |
| When R&S Records was re-launched in 2008, it was easy to be skeptical. Up to that point, the Belgian label had had an almost spotless track record and had released such a dizzying array of classic rave and techno (try the likes of Outlander’s ‘Vamp’, Joey Beltram’s ‘Energy Flash’ and Ken Ishii’s ‘Extra’ for starters), that it seemed like pure folly that they would risk sullying their peerless reputation with lackluster tracks and artists, as so many relaunched labels are wont to do. No danger. Flick forward to 2010 and this writer is munching on his words, big time. In the wake of sterling tech-house cuts from Radio Slave, Shlomi Aber and Fabrice Lig, R&S has set its sights on the UK’s bass music, but rather than jumping on the bandwagon, it’s got its finger firmly on the pulse. James Blake’s recent ‘CMYK’ EP was a near-classic, game changing blast from leftfield, and now we have Pariah touching down with his second release for the imprint. ’The Slump’ rolls on bodypopping, old school electro beats and polyrhythmic percussion, a mix ‘n’ blend of ‘Planet Rock’, Cybotron’s ‘Clear’ and garagey vox interjections, with a floating, tentative ambient cumulus that elevates the track into the ether. ‘Prism’ is the one that will have most tongues wagging though; percolating acid basslines flowing like lava over weird half-electro, stepping beats, before a vast femme vocal takes it into the ‘Hyph Mngo’ dimension and club dynamite territory. Strong words? Many have tried and failed to emulate Joy Orbison’s bass mega-hit, after all. But this is something else, an evolution, taking inspiration from it, sure, but also pushing things forward. One of the tunes of 2010, doubtless....full text |
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