Senior Dunce’s ‘Bestial’ EP is brief but it makes a big, bold statement. It doesn’t hold back or try to appear in any way that it’s not. If there’s one thing Dunce has always been about it’s biting back and being proudly imperfect. It’s as if he’s finally had enough after all these years and is ready to let the man behind the desk have his say, his truth and his chance to roar. On paper it’s just two tracks, two versions of the same song, but there’s plenty going on within that allows the release to breathe and actually warrant multiple spins. Featuring the smooth, authoritative vocals of Cheshy and the measured yet effective adornments of Gimpado, the title track “Bestial” is a late night dancefloor banger for sure. Funky, low-end thump abounds, but there’s still meat on the bone behind the beat. It’s not meant to be taken as wallpaper music. The urgency and weight of it isn’t the only thing that’s heavy here.
Lyrically, the track is as forthright as the music behind it. “Bestial” is about embracing your imperfections, your innermost desires, the things that make you different, even if they’re raw or ugly to look at. Rather than shy away from our bestial sides, Senior Dunce is giving us a wink and telling us to look it dead in the eye. The spirit of the track is loose and loose-limbed, the kick drum throbbing out like the work of a fellow rhythm junkie and it’s all held together with the threadbare production techniques of someone who’s not afraid to get a little vulnerable, even if that means getting a little sloppy. Cheshy’s soul adds a level of gravitas to the proceedings, while Gimpado:s punctuation keeps the track moving without ever feeling like he’s stealing the show.
The extended mix of “Bestial” doesn’t simply elongate the original, it opens the space within. The lead-up is much more protracted and everything gets a bigger platform to do its thing. It’s the kind of version made with a DJ’s mind but also the casual listener who doesn’t mind wallowing a little in the grooves longer. Both tracks are exercises in catharsis, on the dancefloor and off. There’s something freeing about the whole thing. ‘Bestial’ sounds like Senior Dunce giving a voice to his inner self after years of repression and that alone is more than enough reason to pick up a copy. It’s not an overproduced, over-worked set of tracks. It’s bare, it’s real, and in a world that loves its filters and its artificial sheen, being real is more important than it has ever been before.
