FaltyDL is all about evolution. He released his most recent LP, The Crystal Cowboy, under his name, Drew Lustman, rather than his more familiar alias. He’s moved from label Planet Mu to Ninja Tune. He even created his own tag, Blueberry Records, to slot into the mix of the record industry. For his latest two-track EP, Visceral, Lustman has returned to his moniker. But even though the name calls back to music past, his new release relays an obvious progression.

The EP starts with the self titled “Visceral”. A refined track with a multiplex of layers: the elements slowly swell as the song pushes itself forward, growing in depth by the second. Lustman’s music incorporates orchestral samples, signature to his sound. Opening with a delicate pan flute and xylophone accompaniment, the melody is quickly carried to a swift pace with snapping strings and a steady drum structure. The rhythm has a rolling pulse that is a staple of Lustman’s work. Each instrument is carefully considered as it’s added into the crescendo. Throughout the track, Lustman allows for short moments of clarity where main samples drop out, permitting gentle maracas and chimes to sway softy in the background.

“The Ah Track” follows next on his EP, opening with a metronomic tap of the high hat. Like “Visceral,” this song boasts a slow burn build, but with a much more mellow approach. It’s reminiscent of early Orbital, with that 90’s style lounge/house vibe. The wandering synths lays a thick, cozy coat over the listener, enveloping them in a dream-wave-state hypnosis. Unlike his first track, “Ah” is minimal in its elements: monochromatic, clean and crisp. This seems to speak to where FaltyDL might be heading, if we catch his redolent drift.

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As the second last stop of the Yellow Year Tour, Toronto welcomed this crew of experimental musicians/producers to the Hoxton for a Friday night show. Set at the forefront of a rather deep stage, Drew Lustman, a.k.a. FaltyDL, kicked off the night shortly after 11 just as the crowds were wandering in. In no time, the dance floorwas packed with nodding, throbbing, grinding, and arm-waving fans. The music carefully escalated from downbeat techno with industrial samples into lively, carefully arranged electronic dance beats. Lustman’s skill, hiding behind a humble impression, is easy to notice. The entire set was masterfully executed with smooth, growing transitions feeding the crowd with bits of joyful noise.

LA’a Nosaj Thing followed and immediately added rap and even a little jungle into the mix. Nojas took up DJing at the age of 12, and the passion clearly shows. Fully taking advantage of the empty stage, dancing along and occasionally clasping his hands together to bow to the cheering audience, Nosaj did not disappoint.

After a brief momentum with all three masterminds on stage together, Prefuse 73 went on to wrap up the night. Zipped up to his chin in his winter jacket, Herren didn’t seem to be too into the scene. Letting tracks run out just enough for the next one to start his set was unfocused. “He doesn’t look like he wants to be here,” I hear to my left. Agreed. The crowd began to wither.

Though the night ended on a low note, FaltyDL and Nosaj’s sets were epic and memorable enough to leave a sweet aftertaste.

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Controversy doesn’t necessarily capture it. In other words, there’s very little going on in his music that’s salacious. But the meshing of post-dub bass with down-tempo ballad-ish vocals evokes, amongst a host of other thoughts and feelings, some head scratching.

Although it doesn’t translate via his recorded work, Blake’s live shows are definitively identifiable by the low-end frequencies that literally dominate the listener’s attention. Notably, artist’s most confusing choice is the use of the said low-frequencies for their melodic qualities as opposed to rhythmic: dub-step fans shouldn’t expect the drops defining that genre. By the same token, fans of his sing-songy dirge-reminiscent vocals should anticipate them being lost in a droning sea of bass. It was probably most obvious during his performance of “I never learnt to share,” with three different vocals in place, a wall of slow, tyrannical, bowel-jarring, chest-cavity-invading bass drowned out almost everything – Blake, his guitarist, and the drummer.

There isn’t quite the ‘ghost of humanity in a digital world’ zeitgeist that rocketed Radiohead into popularity with OK Computer. Nor is there really the thoughtfulness as a lyricist one might associate with others in the singer-songwriter niche (though the timbre and execution in Blake’s singing voice are spot-on).

But despite all that, Blake and his band did manage to achieve some really striking moments of clarity, emerging from the murkiness, that force a conscientious listener to reconsider dismissing his music. The happy medium might be in its literal experiential qualities: whether or not the music resonates emotionally, the bass will resonate with you, physically. It’s trance music, achieved by vibration rather than rhythm. And, at least on paper, that’s got a lot of potential.

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Given Lustman’s concept-rich new material, it seems fitting he has joined British electronica wonder-kid James Blake on a North American tour. Last week, in Vancouver, Lustman creeped out onto the stage of the packed Commodore Ballroom in an unassuming, almost gawky fashion. He sat at a small wooden desk under a single spotlight, lowered his head into his laptop, and then proceeded to let rip on a five-minute psytrance opener, a polyrhythmic hash of hi hat, jungle drums and glassy pads. Sonically, at least, it’s a full-on entrance.

There are ethereal moments of ambient electronica tonight, but these mostly give way to house beats and pleasing elements of trip. Besides conjuring vocal loops into unrecognisable sounds, this is largely an instrumental set, very much built on the strength of morphing individual sounds.

There is always something a little uncomfortable about DJ sets at band gigs – the audience stares expectantly, waiting for a performance, some interaction – but nevertheless, there is genuine appreciation for Lustman’s no-nonsense, head-down producing chops, and the crowd’s dancing belies the fact that he is static, transfixed on his MacBook. Tonight, Lustman proves that it’s beats – not bravado – that really matter.

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