January 7th, 2010 9:32am
Drip Drip Drip Drop Drop
Pit er Pat “Water”
Pit er Pat roughly approximate the sound of Missy and Timbaland circa the late 90s/early 00s in this track, but it’s not a straight rip. Their own style of melody and rhythm is intact, but filtered through modern R&B sensibilities, resulting in a weird mirage of a song in which the various rhythmic and textural elements seem to blink in and out of mix, implying a shape and structure without ever feeling particularly solid. True to its title, “Water” is a rather fluid piece of music, and the atmosphere it creates is rather humid. Whereas this general aesthetic is typically employed to convey sexuality and anticipation, Pit er Pat come across vaguely asexual and totally impatient. It’s a strange effect, really: Uncomfortably groovy, but still pleasure-oriented.
Pre-order it from Thrill Jockey.