Two things above all anchor Livity Sound. The first thing you notice about the label, founded by Peverelist in 2011, is the percussion. Livity is not the first Bristol imprint to draw from and build upon the bedrocks of contemporary British music –– dubstep, garage, grime –– as well as a more headsy corner of the techno tent –– dub techno, electro, Detroit minimal and whatever you’d call A Made Up Sound. The difference with Livity is the intricacy in the production, as if every artist is given a brief to build a club track using only elements of a modest size.
Putting a finger on how a Livity release moves is tricky, but you suspect that’s the point. Typically, the records take pleasure in not being the loudest, brashest voice in the room – instead, presence is earned by precision. Hi-hats chatter, detailed effects adorn the margins, synths buzz, and taut, dry drums pause at odd moments or deviate on a surprise left turn.