Sahy Uhns An Intolerant Disdain of Underlings
Carl Madison Burgin, who produces under the name Sahy Uhns and runs the LA-based Proximal […]
Carl Madison Burgin, who produces under the name Sahy Uhns and runs the LA-based Proximal label, surfaced a bit late in the beat-centric “lazer bass” scene, which is to say we only became familiar with his work and that of his rostermates a couple of years ago. That shouldn’t come off as derogatory as it may sound; it’s just that genres can live and die within that relatively small amount of time. That said, on his debut LP, An Intolerant Disdain of Underlings, Burgin successfully updates the tried-and-true (but tired, too) “space blap” sound with a bit of extra crunch, aggression, and even some sonic subtleties—making for a more interesting listen than expected.
The best thing going for Sahy Uhns on Intolerant is his shift of gaze from hip-hop’s various permutations to the eclectic sounds of Warp-style IDM. Tracks like “Anticipation of the Night” and “Earning Bridges” evoke the frantic, dystopian sounds of Clark, while “13.73 ± 0.12 Billion” brings to mind early Plaid, and “Fever. Chills and Sweats.” comes off as a loose homage to Prefuse 73. But underneath it all, Burgin is still a slave to the boom-and-slap. It’s not a bad thing per se, but it’s certainly nothing new. What Intolerant does best is introduce the world to a bright and talented producer with a serious knack for soundcraft. Let’s hope that next time he’ll bring the fresh ideas to match.