The Cutler – The Cutler (Steel Tiger)

Years ago, the Pork Recordings label out of Hull, England was pumping out some of the most consistent, like-minded electronic music.  It was a well-oiled machine in the mid to late ’90s and delivered quality material from choppy beat masters like Baby Mammoth, Leggo Beast, and Fila Brazillia.  David “Porky” Brennand drove the label and artists like Steve Cobby help build its reputation.  Nothing can last forever though and things only have a limited shelf-life.  After McSherry and Cobby’s Fila Brazillia project came to an end, it must have been a logical time to redirect the creative juices.  Fortunately, David and Steve have managed to carry on and have now stepped back in to the studio with a new project, The Cutler.

Kingston upon Hull was the base of Pork Recordings and Cobby and Brennand still call it home.  It has remained the place for their moments in the Shedio, as they like to call it.   After playing around with ideas in private, their work slipped out and people took notice.  That’s not surprising because these two are just too talented to keep silent.  In years past, Cobby worked in mind-twisting titles that sometimes bordered on the insane.  So, deciding on the name The Cutler must have been pleasing.  The name lends itself with endless possibilities of poking references.  On their debut, we find ourselves being taught about all the cutting, stabbing and slashing instruments from the past.

The Cutler picks up where your old junior high bully left off with a nice slap across the face.  It’s a wake up call with the opening track and you are definitely going to want to get out of bed for this one.  The drum line on “Scimatar” is pounded in your face and wicked distorted sounds are brought full attention.  This gets empowering as guitars are worked in with off-key notes that work to drive home the power.  The depth in the live instruments leaves you with a sense that these two passed out a friendly reminder to their neighbors prior to the impending session in the yard.

With “Stilleto” you feel dirty as your mind wanders with the evocative female vocals.  It’s playful in its rhythm, subtle in its delivery.  Its got a sense of asian influence in the style of sounds and in the way it rides the beat along.

“Cinquedea” might be the anthem for the next installment of Donkey Kong.  Hell, even Amon Tobin has done VG soundtracks.  The title could even be a reference to Mario’s next weapon choice, a dagger.  All kidding aside, “Cinquedea” combines nice elements of percussion amongst old-sounding electronics.  It transitions up and down on the wave of a string arrangement providing something of a chorus.  Press repeat.

“Tyrfing” is where its at.  Just as their name implies, we find reference to another knife in this track.  It makes sense because they surely are developing each cut nicely.  You can just tell that this kind of music  must have been great to make.  Sit down behind the drums, get creative in a beat and follow it with sly electronica to develop the mood.  With the beginning, we find a fast paced chord that brings more of an asian feeling to this debut release.  The drums are there and delivering more pounding presence. But, it’s the layers that are truly catchy and addictive.

Brennand and Cobby are solid technicians and on their debut release the highlights abound.  They are truly sharp in their wisdom and their collected minds in The Cutler are complementary on so many levels.  It’s a great choice for those looking for a one stop shop of solid electronica.

Track Listing:
1)  Scimitar
2 )  Stilleto
3)  Cinquedea
4)  Gladius
5)  Tyrfing
6)  Cleaver
7)  Pickaxe
8)  Claymore
9)  Hacksaw
10)  Epee
11)  Chandrahas
12)  Unagisaki Hocho

Comments