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Shawn Rudiman
Evidence of Life EP
7th City US
A deep four-tracker from Dan "DBX" Bell's label. The Pittsburgh-based Rudiman
shows his jazzy, tribal side here (a much better, more focused and overall
better-produced effort than his previous "Blue Empire" EP on his own
Hypervinyl imprint), with John Tejada-esque moments of chords and depth. A
more uptempo release from the usually-more experimental 7th City, this one
brings soul and maturity to your basic, banging techno set. Or maybe I'm just
getting old. Recommended.
***1/2
--Alan Oldham
Jochem Paap
Electric Deluxe
Plus 8 CAN white label
This one was handed to me by Richie Hawtin right-hand man Clark Warner during
my recent post-Miami set at Detroit's Motor club. Since the Rotterdam-based
Paap's current noise/industrial/electro output as Speedy J on NovaMute is
incomprehensible to me, I fully expected this to be more of the same, and was
prepared to dismiss it. WRONG ! "Electric Deluxe" is slow-building, flat-out
banging, peak-time 4/4 techno and guaranteed to rock your floor. Three tracks
here (untitled on this white label), all stompin'. A solid dancefloor hit for
the newly-resurgent Plus 8 and one more sign (along with Hawtin's "Orange"
12" and "DE9" mix CD on M_nus) that sub-minimal, Basic Channel-ish techno, at
least in the Hawtin camp, has run its course. A cryptic note in the run-out
groove completes the package....but alluding to what ?
****
--Alan Oldham
Bryan Zentz
Skufftones 1.0
In-Tec UK white label
No, it isn't a ska record. After Zentz's brilliant hard techno manifesto
"Kingdom of the Selfish" on Primate and his deeper "Loving Them Is Dangerous.
Hating Them Is Futile" EP on Jericho, the prolific track machine returns on
Carl Cox's London-based imprint. Good stuff as usual, but I'm not feeling the
lead track, "Algebra". It works that Giorgio Moroder "I Feel Love" bassline
one too many times. Too many people in both the house and techno worlds have
all bitten that groove. Doesn't Felix Da Housecat have a track like that on
his album ? Enough already. But the next track, "Matador", returns Zentz to
familiar funky house/techno crossover territory. "Metric" is the one I'd most
likely play out: cool, tribal and very Purpose Maker circa "Steampit" EP.
"Bravador" continues in that vein with clean production, nice Latin horn
stabs and deft sample work. Three out of four this time for Zentz, but still
better than most people's averages.
***
--Alan Oldham
Mike Dearborn vs. The Advent
Battle Remixes
Majesty US
Well, you know, it's Mike Dearborn and The Advent. You know what it sounds
like. What can I say that you don't already know other than it's taken from
Dearborn's "Ready For War" album from last year ?
***1/2
--Alan Oldham
Cristian Varela
Generator Feelings EP
Primate UK white label
Four tracks' worth of driving, pumping, but ultimately-average post-Mills
dancefloor techno from Madrid, but Goddamn, too much midrange in the final
mix ! Maybe okay for younger ears, but too much for these road-damaged
cauliflowers. Hey Nilz (of UK mastering lab The Exchange), quit leaning on
the EQ so hard, we get the message.
**1/2
--Alan Oldham
G-Flame and Mr. G
Give 'N' Take EP
Moods and Grooves US white label
More funky, compressed house madness as Colin McBean meets Detroit for his
latest G-Flame side on Mike Grant's up-and-coming M&G imprint. "Swing Crewz
II" is your basic, late night G-Flame groove that we know so well; straddling
that fine line between house and techno. "G's D. Sound Dub" and "Pulsez" are
more of the same. A refreshing, uptempo change from the current trend of
pitched-down, water torture beats (KDJ, Theo, Alton Miller, etc.) in Detroit
house music. If it got any slower, it'd be hip-hop.
****
--Alan Oldham
Terrence Dixon
>From The Far Future 2x12"
Tresor GER white label
Frankly, this album is better than I thought it would be, going by Dixon's
past solo work (Dixon's co-production on Juan Atkins' 1998 "Skynet" album,
for various reasons, went uncredited, which led to this project on Tresor).
Very deep, repetitive and melodic, the tracks on "From The Far Future" are
simple at first listen, but tracks like "Running Time" and "Untitled" (my
favorite) are compelling enough to take you deeper, and with more swing,
warmth and sense of melody than the usual stark, minimal German techno. Track
titles like "Early Space Pioneers" evoke the paintings of Black art savant
Jean-Michel Basquiat while sharing the painter's willful primitivism. More
suited for home listening than the dancefloor, this is more the art gallery
background music of the present than the sounds of the far future. Get the CD
version and press "repeat".
****
--Alan Oldham
www.puresonikrecords.net
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