(7Even Records)

www.myspace.com/7evenrecordings

Florent Aupetit shortens his name to what's essentially Google kryptonite for his outings as a dubstep producer. Energy Distortion, the Frenchmen's official debut full-length as F, collects and sequences some of the deep, hefty bass music he's already released for vinyl on his native country's 7Even. The material is paired with a handful of CD-only cuts, too.

Aupetit cites Burial's 2006 debut as an influence, and while Energy Distortion isn't without its perplexity or speaker-teasing atmospherics, the Hyperdub wonder's productions were more of an impetus for F to explore dubstep as a genre, rather than serving as a source for drum editing ideas. Aupetit's output is closer to a techno and dubstep blend; it's the work of a fairly green producer whose discography stretches only back to 2008, but his ability to build-out seductive and elaborate productions is very apparent. "Forever" is two-fold, launching atop a set of pinging beats and squeaks, as devilish bass rumbles on its own rails below. Its tempo morphs dramatically, speeding up and knocking back to a crawl, before its five minutes have run their course - Aupetit is rarely content to let something stew. The title track, issued originally as part of a twelve-inch series on 7Even in early 2010, is also one worth returning to for its dizzying system of pitch-shifted drones and complex woodblock/programmed percussion. Not unlike RSD's similarly named Good Energy compilation for Punch Drunk in 2009, Energy Distortion plays cohesively, with more than a friendly nod at classic dub techno as well as all that's come out of the dubstep/"post-garage" crowd in recent months.

Standout Tracks: "Forever," "Another Place" DOMINIC UMILE