Nevada Hardware
Split Scene
Thinkbreak Records
Doug Jones’ Nevada Hardware has a small but mighty catalogue of work. The project’s debut LP No Future from 2018, and the occasional compilation track and remix (including the absolutely storming version of “Rhythm of the System” cooked up for Klack) have shown Jones’ excellent capacity for producing stomping, Big Beat influenced instrumental electronics, with a healthy dose of guitars and some touches of Mortal Kombat style techno. It’s been a long wait for new album, but nothing about Split Scene suggests that time was wasted: at seven tracks and 25 minutes, the record bangs harder and demands to be played louder than any other material Jones has released to date.
Nevada Hardware’s secret is in mashing together some proven dancefloor sounds with an ear towards heavy grooves that are both funky and headbang worthy. “The more things change, the more they stay the same” intones the sample that starts the record, and “World Code 666” bears that out with its breaks-driven rhythm, army of sampled and processed guitars and vocal snippets with a build to a big cinematic climax – these are all well-established sounds, but there are few acts are this adept at invoking peak-era Crystal Method, Freestylers and your choice of PS1 era racing game aesthetics into such a potent form. Jones can modulate that for variety as required, melding it with gnarly high-speed techno on “In the Dark” or balls-out synth-driven crossover thrash on “Letters of Sympathy” without ever repeating himself, a feat of smart execution in and of itself.
For all that clamour, there’s also some pleasing subtle touches that tie individual songs together. “The Suburbs Dream of Violence” is rapid-fire vocal clips and rolling drums on its surface, but the menacing chord progression that sits behind its chorus, and the fuzzed out breakdown are what makes it into a proper song. Similarly, the mid-tempo bounce of “Overload” channels disco’s rhythm guitar and drum interplay, melting it down and moulding it into a cyberpunk dance jam that will play to rivetheads and synthwavers alike. The laidback soul that makes its way into “Fluoride Stare”, and the touches of EBM programming and choral voices that inform the title track are easy to miss in the sturm and drang of it all, but they’re crucial to making the record more than just a collection of bangers.
Don’t get it wrong though, Split Scene has more than its share of absolute barn-burners, each one distinct enough from the rest to stand on its own. An informal survey of other DJs and reviewers who had the record as a promo before the street date revealed that everyone had selected a different song as their personal favourite, a testament to its overall quality and its depth. Certainly one of the most kinetic records of the first third of the year, and by virtue of its giant-size hooks and stompin’ beats, one of its most fun. Recommended.
