Quiet Confidence by B1980

Belgian artist B1980 returns to Zone with a rugged four-tracker designed to rip up the dance floor.

Quiet Confidence by B1980 Photo by Zone/B1980

B1980 is the respected producer and musician Bert Libeert and is best known as the drummer of electro-rock band GOOSE. This project sees him focus on his love of EBM and techno with influences taken from new beat and Belgian legends like Front242. His aim is to bring the spontaneity of live music back to clubs, armed with just two synths and two drum machines. Says the artist, "music is not all about technique or knowledge, it's about expressing your personality and style". He sure backs that up here.

"Quiet Confidence" opens in blistering style with jacked-up drums and a warped bassline. Steely textures and twitchy synths bring the twisted electro-techno track alive as the tension bubbles and boil throughout. "Hooded Figure" is a more straight-up banger with lashings of synth peeling off the groove, eerie pads, and brain-frying bass all working the dance floor into a state of chaos. 

"Modeling Minds" slows things down to a predatory and heavyweight crawl, with spangled synth patterns and supersized hi-hats all conveying an epic sense of battle to come. The visceral closer is "Body Dancer" with its sheet metal drums, yearning vocal cries, and stiff bass loops all making for a macho and moody sound.

B1980 - Quiet Confidence
Release Date June 2022
Label Zone

Tracklist
01. Quiet Confidence
02. Hooded Figure
03. Modeling Minds
04. Body Dancing

Mathias Haegglund Code Collector, Globetrotter, and Occasional Gamer.