So in an attempt to get the 313 list to break its vow of silence, here are a couple of record reviews I did for www.littledetroit.net - a bit of Speedy J on Novamute and a bit of classic-style acid madness from Sendex on Bunker:
Sendex - Exposure EP (Bunker Records) Using only equipment from the early and mid-1980s, Sendex (aka Sander Meyer) has constructed this EP of house and acid in the classic Chicago mode. The first thing to strike the listener is the authenticity, in both feeling and sound, of each of the tracks on here: "All Night Long" and "Evidence" kick off the A side in the style of early Larry Heard productions, with plaintive synth strings riding over metallic Juno basslines and raw drum machines, while"Jack" gets underway with a sparse and menacing rhythm, driven by low toms and kick drums, before developing into a pretty storming and balls-out acid track. The acid theme continues on the B side, although in slightly less ominous fashion, with title track "Exposure" modulating the otherwise high pH count with some smooth but moody synth pads. Sounding strangely like a prototype version of Laurent Garnier's "Acid Eiffel", this is perhaps the standout cut on the EP. Despite side B closing with the slightly uninspiring acid-electro workout "Hypenosis", this 12" is bound to appeal if you're a sucker for the mid-1980s Chicago sound. If there's going to be an acid house revival anytime soon, we can expect to be buried under tonnes of shoddy acid EPs; this, however, isn't one of them. Speedy J ft Literon - Collabs 200 (Novamute) Dutch producer Literon (aka Gert-Jam Bijl, who has releases on Music Man, Universal Language and Op-Art) joins Speedy J (aka Jochem Paap, who really needs no introduction) on the second of three EPs featuring the Plus 8/Warp/Novamute veteran collaborating with other artists. Most of the tracks on this series of EPs are apparently several years old, and weren't originally intended for release - instead, the tracks have been used by Speedy J as elements of his live sets, and are only now being made available to the public. "Snacker" gets underway with a rigid but slightly quirky rhythm that builds for a few bars before a nicely overdriven snare drum appears, slicing through the kick and bringing an enjoyable lop- sidedness to the whole affair. As the track develops, the use of heavy reverb and a white noise effect build an atmosphere of confusion and dislocation which would be extremely effective on a club system, and the producers do a good job of avoiding dancefloor clichés to deliver a track that's original and distinctive, while remaining extremely usable for the DJ. "Knicker", on the flip side, sounds immediately more intriguing to this reviewer, less tough and more funky, with a warm-sounding set of drum sounds, a satisfyingly rotary bassline, and a slightly lower BPM. There's more of a groove to this track - the eccentricity of "Snacker"'s sound is restrained here, allowing the dancefloor to concentrate more on the subtle development of each part, and on the understated but intricate variations on the main rhythm that make fairly frequent appearances. Both tracks on this EP focus on the dancefloor, with the producers concentrating primarily on rhythm and groove rather than on arrangement or melody. When making music in this style, the key to success comes in the effort put into making sure every sound in the mix is as lustrous as it can be, and "Collabs 200" is no failure. Expect to hear this in the sets of many a tasteful DJ soon!
