Viper (Judge Bitch)

VIPER
by Adam Burke
aka
JUDGE BITCH

01	Pacer	03:55	by Judge Bitch
02	Thunderground	04:07	by Judge Bitch
03	Jessica	05:56	by Judge Bitch
04	Street Heart	04:07	by Judge Bitch
05	Time Crimes	03:56	by Judge Bitch
06	Striker	03:05	by Judge Bitch (feat. Perturbator)
07	Nights	05:35	by Judge Bitch
08	Viper	04:43	by Judge Bitch
09	Working Out in Jeans	04:07	by Judge Bitch (feat. Lueur Verte)

JUDGE BITCH PAINTS THE PICTURE OF A DYSTOPIA THAT COMES ALIVE WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN. THE SOUNDS OF ITS BOOMING INDUSTRY RIDDLE THE URBAN LANDSCAPE AS YOU CRUISE DOWN THE CITY STREETS. THE HARD-EDGED SAMPLES COMPLEMENT THE LUSH SYNTHS IN MANY OF THESE TRACKS, BUT NONE OF THEM STRIKE SUCH A CONTRAST AS THE SLOW, OMINOUS CRAWL OF "NIGHTS". ENJOY THIS DARK SYNTH MASTERPIECE.

The first thing I knew about Judge Bitch was that it was the alias of an artist who was working on the Aphasia label, and that he or she hailed from Canada. The name conjured up something like an even more juvenile Judge Dredd, but I've since been reminded of one of the great one-liners from the '95 movie. I knew that most of these tracks had kicked around on JB's Soundcloud account before finding their way to a release of sorts, so I was pretty happy to see Viper arrive on Aphasia in 2013. I don't think this is JB's first rodeo - I believe his Priors EP came first - but I believe that this release solidifies his signature sound. Take a lot of retrowave and mix in a dash of industrial plus a ton of inspiration from 80s action and horror movies and video games and what do you get?

There is a wealth of fantastic music on this LP, kicking off with "Pacer", which broadcasts exactly what this album is about. Burke excells at weaving both hard and soft synths together to create a sound that is both lush and harsh, which helps him to stand out in an otherwise enormous crowd. The industrial edge that perforates Viper's sound like flashes of gunfire is what initially caught my attention. "Viper" feels like a rewrite of "Pacer" where its best aspects have been built up. Loud, rhythmic noise helps to drive the gentler, complex synths along. "Jessica" is one of my favorites, a longer track that leans toward the mellow side with its spooky whispered samples from horror movie Let's Scare Jessica to Death. Burke has several hooks running throughout the work. The interplay between the melody and the distorted synth line that sounds like a roaring cougar is another great example of JB's contrast of light and heavy sounds and the quickened pace instills a sense of muted panic.

"Thunderground" breaks away from the leadoff track and takes things to the next level as a brilliant piece of throbbing outrun as that orchestral wall surges over and over again. I can attest that it's great to drive to, and I love that buzzing synth hook that oscillates between two tones. It's harder and faster than most of the album, excepting "Street Heart", whose lo-fi synths echo a roaring engine. The latter is probably the harshest track, due to the distorted synths and percussive clashes. "Time Crimes" is a funky little stroll that sounds curiously upbeat, making use of that wonderful synth distortion plus clashing percussion. I really like the bridge section's purring synth line.

"Striker" is a cool collaboration with the legendary Perturbator, and oddly enough just about the least abrasive song on the record. It's a driven outrun track with some nice guitar work, though I think about the chiming synths that form the major hook more than anything else. The other artist with a duo credit is Aphasia founder Lueur Verte, who aids with the other work vying for the title of least abrasive. The opening strains of regret give way to a bittersweet sunset pointing toward an open future. It doesn't really evoke a feeling of "Working Out in Jeans", at least to me, but it's a great way to end the album.

Before we end anything, though, it's back, to my favorite track - "Nights". It's a slow, moody crawl through dystopian futures that is absolutely loaded with atmosphere. This song has a lot of great hooks, from the bubbling synth arpeggios to the blaring bass tone to the dark melody that permeates most of the track. I keep imagining cutaways to various microcosms of night life as the driver slowly cruises through the cityscape. The night is dark, and harsh, but it's also beautiful. "Viper" and "Working Out in Jeans" are a nice pair of tracks to wind things down, but "Nights" is my climax.

WHY YOU NEED THIS ALBUM: Viper is a fantastic cut of dark synth and its rough edges give it a distinctive feel from many of his peers. All of these tracks are worth the price of admission, but "Nights", "Jessica", and "Thunderground" number among my favorites. There's no real standout, though; every person on Bandcamp has a different favorite.

WHERE TO GET IT: On Aphasia Records's Bandcamp page, specifically this entry, for the low, low price of 5.5 euros ($7.50). What are you waiting for, soldier??

COILED UP AND READY TO STRIKE