O. - SLICE EP

With what's probably one of the most exciting, experimental, and intense releases of the year so far, Speedy Wunderground's duo O. demonstrate a level of musicianship which borders on the outrageous in their long-awaited debut EP 'Slice' - a collection which is as unnerving as it is spectacular.

Consisting of drummer Tash Keary and baritone saxophonist Joseph Henwood, it's incredible how two people can create such a cacophony - but it's clear that there's certainly no space for anyone else. The slow-building titular track commands attention from the offset, with Henwood's ever-intensifying sax and Keary's frenzied drumming making for a crescendo which could easily fill a dancefloor.

The unequivocal highlight of the EP, 'Moon', is aptly named - entailing soaring, spacey, sci-fi sounding sax which groans eerily over equally effects-laden drums. The track's production is also immense, and King Tubby's influence is unmistakable with all the dub elements which can be heard throughout. The fuzzy, gritty-sounding sax on 'Grouchy' could be confused with an overdriven guitar as it plays an unnervingly repetitive riff atop dubby drum beats, and sensory overload prevails in the 6-minute masterpiece of chaos, 'ATM'.

Perhaps best suited for a live show, 'ATM' signifies the frenetic climax of the EP. Drums eerily flit between thrashing and ticking like a clock, and the sax has moments of such intense distortion it's almost impossible to believe all the noises are actually coming from it.

'Slice' is a musical language of its own. It's a funky, perfectly ordered disorder, which feels on the brink of falling into total chaos at any given moment. Stellar.