EP Review: Venom

Anyone who knows anything about Aotearoa electronic music will be very familiar with the name Jesse Cooper. Or as he’s better known, Mt Eden – Formerly Mt Eden Dubstep. Hailing from – you guessed it – Tamaki Makaurau, he’s revered in the global dubstep scene for the ground-breaking release Sierra Leone, a remix of Freshlyground’s I’d Like. After a few years of singles and remixes, Mt Eden is finally back with his first EP release since 2013, Venom.

Blasting his way into things are loud guitar riffs and ragga samples, and sprints into a classic drum n’ bass drop. The arrangement is slick, no time is wasted filling every bar with pounding bass, samples and effects.

It’s good old jump-up drum n’ bass ratcheted tight, brims with energy, and sounds just like electronic music of the early 2010’s. The only downside is, clocking in at under three minutes long, the piece feels cut short, making the listener want to press that replay button.

Jesse James showcases Mt Eden’s ability to meld genres, as he masterfully works together a classic Western motif with acoustic guitars, bongos and even crickets chirping, all rhythmically intermingled to serve up a bold and unapologetic dubstep number.

We also have Double Up, a classically sleazy sounding but robust urban dubstep piece, with plenty of vocal samples and grinding wobbles that Mt Eden is known for delivering.

There’s the drumstep track Geezer with arena-sized bass sounds, reminding me a bit of Mt Eden’s early works, except a bit more “ghetto”. Here, the sounds couldn’t possibly get more urban, with its oily bass drones and a mild reggae flair, this beat will surely rock neighbourhoods. Not that I condone creating excessive noise, of course.

Capping off the record in as massive a way as it began with Faded, there’s loads of steady pulsing womp-womps from the golden days of dubstep music. With some cracking snares, slick and speedy rap vocals over the top, it resembles a homage to electronic music icons Chase & Status. The dense effects, high octane energy, coupled with attitude-laden lyrics declares how Mt Eden is still at the top of his game.

Just in time for summer festivals and backyard parties, all five tracks are sure to get bodies swaying and grooving. I genuinely recommend Venom for anyone who’s into high-energy drum n’ bass or deep, wobbly dubstep. This EP should further cement Mt Eden’s name in Aotearoa music, not just in the realms of electronic music. On Venom, he delivers more than just what he does best, but also exemplifies his ability to meld sounds across diverse genres.

Welcome back to the fold, Mr Jesse Cooper. Here’s hoping you’ll be wowing live crowds in the coming months with those signature swooping drops and iconic earth-rumbling rhythms.