a Paleman - Half Out b Paleman - Chapel Following on from the well-received first EP from Dusky, School Records return with their second release, this time from Paleman. At just 19. Manchester’s Paleman is a fast rising talent with support from the likes of Loefah and Mary Ann Hobbs already in the bag, on top of many plays on Radio 1, Rinse and XFM. Here he serves up three tracks, with the first being the woody percussive workout that is ‘Half Out’. Stripped back and spacious, the hits have real attitude and there’s genuine menace in the background ambiance that rides above a monolithic and all consuming kick drum. Snatched vocal samples add more darkened moods and next track ‘Chapel’ (vinyl only) is no less sparse. This time all sorts of found sounds from rumbling iron bars to clattering barn doors via apocalyptic horns all create an evocative soundscape as the loose-limbed, ramshackle rhythms continue to roll over and over. It’s part house, part garage, part something entirely new. Final offering Etch (digi only) is the most muscular of the lot. Thick iron synths speak of a technoid garage sound à la Artifact and despite every abstract element being crafted specifically for purpose rather than culled from some tired sample pack, there is much here to love. The world has been waiting for a Paleman release for a while now, and on this evidence it is unlikely to be disappointed.