Leftfield
Alternative Light Source

It happens even in the best families, and I'm referring to missing the return of one of your favorite electronic groups after sixteen years. This is what happened with the third album by Leftfield, whose existence I discovered monstrously late. To make amends, it seems the least I can do is to write a nice review. Alternative Light Source marks a halfway comeback. To be precise, from the fantastic and unforgettable Rhythm and Stealth of 1999, only Neil Barnes remains, who thus continues the Leftfield project as a one-man band. I'm not a big fan of these solutions, and indeed the album seems to have lost many of the characteristics that made the duo go down in history. There are some particulars that initially left me puzzled, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a rather interesting record and, above all, enjoyable from start to finish.

Bad Radio opens the dances with an almost 8-bit intro; synths and SID Commodore basses take us into an ever-growing electro, featuring Tunde Adebimpe. You can immediately feel that there are skillful hands at work, even if only two and no longer four behind it. What left me dumbfounded is the two-dimensional sound, which appears in stark contrast to the cleanliness and spaciousness of the previous records; from the epic techno of an Open Up, we've descended into a more narrow and intimate discourse—not clear, with controlled dirtiness and a probable willingness to read contemporary sounds. The price on identity might be steep, and there's a suspicion that it might have been better presented as a solo album by Barnes or some other project, but not everything is completely faded from the Leftfield spirit, and this thin red thread is enough to keep the mechanism going. Following the logic of the "second track of the typical electronic album, intended to get you moving," Universal Everything takes the task very seriously, opens the bass drum full throttle, and kicks us into a steady and surprising techno, yet suspended in an inscrutable limbo. It sounds "modern," but at times it's permeated by waves of déjà vu brought on by senile chills. The key changes of the mesmerizing bassline unequivocally refer to the 90s Jam & Spoon; similarly, the mechanical use of the hat still recalls Elmer and Löffel. This passion for the two Frankfurt heroes is truly curious, but being a fan of theirs, I can't help but appreciate it. The track is long, seven minutes that never bore, and culminates in a truly exhilarating climax. Bilocation brings us back to an electro beat discourse, with undeniably Leftfieldian oriental snare, megabassline in Apparat style, and pop veins gently contributed by the diva of the moment, Channy Leaneagh. However, the beat, dear Barnes, sounds a tad "stock library." Here, too, a progression almost chiptune makes its way quickly, with very pleasant accumulating layers, lots of melody, and little desire to skip the track. Very good. Head and Shoulders features Sleaford Mods, recently seen with the Prodigy, with a long dub variation governed by a venomous bassline. It's all listened to with pleasure, but it doesn't excite; perhaps it could have lasted less, and I’m not an avid fan of the singer.

Dark Matters is a placid and synthetic instrumental that deals with Barnes' introspective side, perhaps looking at Crystal Castles with an oxymoron between progression and repetition: there's always some new sound around the corner ready to keep attention high, and I always appreciate these subtleties. Little Fish seems to be a cross-tribute to Underworld and the Chemical Brothers, retrieving from the former the frenetic techno rhythm, from the latter the method of chanting, with distorted female vocal inserts. Anyway, it's yet another opportunity to flaunt undeniable compositional and sound design skills; the voice is used as an instrument and perfectly marries the sounds. Alternative Light Source and Shaker Obsession are two antithetical parts of a similar discourse, the former opens with an acoustic guitar sample that quickly connects with libraries well known to Leftfield fans, but here too comes an unexpected synth in delay leading back to 8-bit and chiptune. The piece proceeds drumless for several minutes but keeps the tension high, culminating in the frenzy of, indeed, Shaker Obsession, the stomping track that throws us back onto the floor under a beautiful strobe. Despite the change in rhythm, the track maintains the same arrangements in the first part, presenting an almost "concept" consistency, while at the end Barnes shifts towards freeform, unleashing twisted synth loops in distortion. The end of the journey comes with Levitate For You, spectral techno soul in arpeggio and delay, enriched by Ofei's voice. Perhaps the alchemy of Little Fish is not replicated in this case.

Without even realizing it, these 10 very concise and well-thought-out tracks have already passed, making me realize I've listened to an almost hour-long album without ever wanting to skip a track or feel bored, and this is already a great achievement for Alternative Light Source. Creating a memorable record, or even one at the level of the previous Leftfield works, is another matter. Evidently, Paul Daley brought that something capable of marking the territory between an excellent job and a masterpiece. I have no idea if this album can be enough to make up for a sixteen-year absence, but what we have on our hands remains a respectable return for Barnes, which I strongly recommend listening to.