By Andrew Maclean
Can lightning strike twice? Or for that matter, 13 times — on one record? When it comes to his sophomore album, Green Language, Russell “Rustie” Whyte definitely thinks so. The follow-up LP to 2011′s Glass Swords showcases the Glasgow, Scotland-bred dance music producer’s firm grasp on the balance between the futuristic tracks his fans love and a shift away from a sound he believes “a lot of people have been jumping on.”
“I tried to go into this album trying to make it more cohesive, take it a bit more serious, more deeper sounds then from Glass Swords,” Rustie told MTV News.
And though different, Green Language , out Tuesday (August 26), is in every way a continuation of Glass Swords. Rustie launches the record with “Workship” and “Glimpse,” two songs that can tell you everything you need to know about the eclectic Scottish producer. Large shining soundscapes with the textures of prog-rock, hip-hop, and video games are wrapped together to create the world of the new LP.
The album cover for Green Language
For most of the album, Rustie navigates between moments of explosive energy like the Danny Brown-featured “Attak” and “Up Down,” featuring U.K. MC D Double E, to the comforts of luscious ballads like “Lost,” which features Numbers labelmate Redinho, and “Dream On” with Washington D.C.’s Muhsinah.
This balancing act helps Rustie deliver an album thick with emotion and raw “shotgun-blast-to-the-face” instrumentals. That sonic approach, initiated on Rustie’s instrumental-heavy debut LP, Glass Swords, can be heard now in the work of many dance producers. As with all things great, imitation should be expected.
And while some argue over where the line is between “sub-genres” and style-biting, Rustie is taking the high road telling us, “I’ve noticed a lot of new artists coming out or even new tracks that sound very similar to some of the tracks on Glass Swords. In some ways, it’s a little bit annoying but I guess in other ways it’s also quite flattering.”
“If it’s done in a way that brings something new to the table [it’s flattering], but it’s kind of annoying if it’s a carbon copy,” he added.
Ultimately, the power of Green Language isn’t in its singles but the album as a cohesive whole. From “Workship” to the book-ending title track, Rustie conjures a world that breathes, screams and reminds listeners what it’s like to be surprised again and again.
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