MP3s: Airhead - “Wait” & “Pyramid” Singles

Like anyone else with their finger seemingly on the pulse of emerging UK producers, I first heard Airhead (née Robert McAndrews) when I tracked down his collaborative 12” with James Blake, Pembroke. That dropped back in 2010 and McAndrews’s been quiet—save a compilation contribution—until this year when he released two very fine singles, Wait and Pyramid.

Both “Wait” and “South Congress” actually share some DNA with Blake’s R&S Records releases: down-tempo, chopped, spacey. Toying with atmosphere more than anything, the 12” sits at home in a playlist cozied up next to Mount Kimbe and Shlohmo.

“Pyramid” and “Black Ink” on the other hand are pretty significant departures from dubstep’s school of minimalism. Here, McAndrews flexes some maximalist muscle, akin to Lone or Hudson Mohawke, even Ital’s experimental side.

I’m throwing a lot of comparative names around and clearly McAndrews is one small part of a larger scene; with only five officially released solo tracks to this moniker, he’s hard to dissect. That said, there’s magnetism in these singles. Put me down for more.

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Airhead - Wait
Airhead - South Congress
Airhead - Pyramid
Airhead - Black Ink