Bleep

Paul Blackford returns to Central Processing Unit with Betamax, another masterful LP of downtempo electronic joints from the seasoned producer. Much like Light Years, Blackford’s 2017 album for the Sheffield imprint, this record is full of cuts where steady hip-hop tempo beats anchor some delightfully rich production. The combination of keening synths borrowed from IDM techno and thick flushes of sub-bass on tracks such as ‘Fortress’ may be the same sort of sonics you hear on CPU’s more club-oriented electro output, but here they are slowed and softened to create an album with a distinctly after-hours feel. Fans of electronic music’s 90s golden age, or indeed recent CPU drops such as Bochum Welt’s Seafire LP, will find plenty to love about Betamax.