DNO 12 by Howman Follow

DNO 12 review

Kicking off 2023 on home turf, Brighton’s DNO Records signs a second exclusive artist in local multi-instrumentalist Howman.

One of the most hard-to-define offerings yet on a label known for avoiding definition, the ‘Moon Operator’ EP is the result of Howman’s ongoing quest to merge his numerous disparate influences in ever more luscious and unique forms.
Able to turn his hand to guitar, drums, keys, vox and various production tools, Howman draws inspiration from those who’ve consistently pushed the envelope in rock, hip-hop and electronic music (think King Crimson, SOPHIE and MF Doom, among many more).

Trip-hop is another key sound for him, and there’s more than a hint of the downtempo psych-funk of artists like Shawn Lee and the enigmatic Clutchy Hopkins threaded through this release, even during its most UK dancefloor-leaning moments.

‘Low Guy’ sees extraterrestrial twangs ricochet around a three-for-the-price-of-one beat that switches suddenly from punchy instrumental hip-hop to propulsive garage, before drifting off with a chilled-out lick. ‘Moon Operator’ opens with a clip of King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp talking about the concept of hazard — opening music up to chance rather than being formulaic — before taking a woozy stroll through backstreets daubed in scarlet light, a sultry sax looping amongst fuzzy guitars and boisterous horn blasts.

‘Over’, meanwhile, is an alternative indietronica musing, yet starts out life as stripped-back digital dancehall; its delay-doused samples and syncopated beat take a back seat to a wobbly riff Mac DeMarco would be proud of, before switching again to more wistful guitar tones, and finally revealing its true tempo with a final flourish of 160BPM junglism. It has to be heard to be believed.
And on ‘Molasses’, 10-tonne trap crawls through spindally, spiralling arpeggios, scraping strings and half-caught glimpses of soul; while the digital-only ‘Industry’ treads a similar path, but with growling low-end and a some whimsical pitch-bending to set it apart from the pack.

Not just an outstanding collection, what’s even more enticing about Howman’s debut EP is the precedent it sets for future releases — quality is guaranteed, of course, but where he’ll go with them sonically is anyone’s guess.

Rhythms of postmodern realism at the very bottom of the DNO.