i'm not sure if these have been discussed in detail before
(other than the blips given by stuart and pj of 4th world
and modern music, respectively), so i thought i give it
a whirl.
below are my track-by-track reviews for the 4 dot releases.
(a tad long to be ONE email....so sue me, save it and read it later)
oh and if you don't have any of them...tsk tsk.
A.
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Hab EP - Dot 12" (Dot 1201)
A1 - Def - Begins with a lo-fi throb (if you could call it that) over some light,
tapping percussion that sounds as if the kids raided the kitchen cabinet and are doing
their best to get signed on to Skam with merely plastic pans and wooden spoons! The
beats do get more intricate though, and down the line there's even some hints of
"Amber"-esque themes in the background. The track almost reminds me of a compressed
"Key Nell," the way the synth lines persevere and last until the very end (esp. part 4
of KN), outlasting the beats. While this is surely not another "Key Nell," it's
Freeform-esque mechanics do have me wondering...
A2 - Pan - More light tapping over an atmospheric journey that could have been
mustered by the likes of Mike P. (it's a little too bleep-bloopy to be Autechre I
suppose). The beats, however, do seem to plod away in that Ae./Gescom mold.
B1 - Pan (The Nonplace Urban Field Wash) - Frenetic RDJ-ish breaks with a kooky synth
structure. There are some lovely atmospherics to this one though. So I suppose if
their were any RDJ (H-angable A-uto B-ulb) comparisons, this would be it. I could
have easily seen this one on his last effort. Atmospherics aside however, this is one
of the weaker moments of the ep.
B2 - Pan (Journeyman's Peekaboo) - Gurgly, flush ambiance with some substantial beats.
Go Woob guy! An excellent electronic track that surpasses the original without
question. Probably my favorite, along with "Def" on the ep.
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Tupilaq - Volver EP - Dot 12" (Dot 1202)
A1 - Pollen - Astoundingly thick, lo-fi texture this one. A brilliant tune, blows
away anything from the Hab EP easily. Snarly percussion roars and chops away at your
senses like some of Gescom's finer moments. The cut plods along and reacts to various
intervening synth patterns that come and go. The beats always win, however...and this
is a very good thing.
A2 - Chapel Perilous - More dark textures, excellent! Here, however, the percussion
seems moved toward the background, while a theme (from a twisted horrow movie?) takes
front stage. Eerie, wispy and high pitched. Nothing frightening really, more like a
soundtrack to a struggle of some sort. I guess you could say that this track paints a
portrait of something that's just not right. Eventually, there's a definite tribal
feeling to the song.
B1 - Chapel Perilous (Endemic Void's Hole-In-One) - Jazzy/new age-ish drum 'n' bass
version. Pretty good, but the drum pattern, although light and quite forgiving to the
main theme, seems a bit tight for my liking.
B2 - Chapel Perilous (Floppy Sound's Nuclear Somersault) - Five star alert! Well, it
begins with some tapping (go figure, must be a Swedish thing) that sounds as if its
orginating in an alley somewhere, but then the beat kicks in...oh---MY---GOSH!
Downright dingy electro over an ooozing bass line....too sly and sleek for words.
Synth lines, disguised as train whistle samples, whirl and sheer in and out but just
seem to bounce off this untouchable (!) groove. Wow, a track with some serious
viscosity! I don't think I am familiar with this sound whatsoever, such a unique
excursion. Deep, dark and downright rude! Gotta find more stuff like this!!
(ANYONE??)
Side Note - Label on the A-side was printed approximately 2 cm off-center. Strange...
(are they all like this??)
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Quant EP - Dot 12" (Dot 1203)
A1 - Intestinal Sound - Jazzy, funk-city electro, proving that Dot can do it all!
Drum 'n' bass-like percussion seems rather ubiquitous, but is still very light and
jazzy, nothing heavy here...just pure jazz-tip flava through and through. Nice.
A2 - I Like This - Gaah-roovy PHONK vibes all over this baby! From the fat-ass bass
line to gnarly, P-Funk vocoder action to the straight up percussion and those jazzy
keyboard sequences...this is electro fusion the Swedish way, I guess. Well, I love
it. In fact, this is has to be one of the warmer, funkier (have I conveyed this yet?)
excursions that the Dot label has yet to offer. Simply superb!!
B1 - Intestinal Sound (Roupe's Winter Warmer) - A little less pace, a few less beats
and all the FUNK entact. This must be the lounge version. Can you say Jake
Slazenga?
B2 - Intestinal Sound (Buckfunk 3000 Nitro Funk Mix) - Hard drum 'n' bass version.
Actually, it's like Detroit electro meets drum 'n' bass...just wicked! Some funky
quirks slide through in the distance, but the beats have me in awe. They hammer and
pelt there way though this sucker and leave very little behind.
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Friend EP - Dot 12" (Dot 1204)
A1 - Eight Ball - Nothing like a floatatious journey through lounge centrale. Feel
like taking a mental trip? This is your tune. After about 3 minutes, we get a taste
of the drum 'n' bass treatment with emphasis on the former. It's not really a heavy
(full-o-bass) tune, more of an atmospheric excursion with all that...jazz. This light
percussion takes you home to the 9 minute mark. Wonderfully tasty stuff.
A2 - Thanks For the Cookies - Lifted from the Bukem archives? Ok, maybe not, but this
drum 'n' bass number has 'Good Looking' written all over it. Oh the sound? Very
nice. Chill city.
B1 - Mr. Tenderbender - Has a little less fluidity than "Thanks," but, nonetheless, a
'Good Look'-alike. Some impressive atmospherics this one as well, no complaints.
B2 - Eight Ball (Kid Loops' Big Lick) - Comes at you with a tighter, Doc Scotian
structure to it. Total jazz-tip flavor over some chilling drum 'n' bass. If it's
some light, jazzy drum 'n' bass you want after a hard day, these four tracks should do
the trick. The infamous Dot is 4 for 4 in my book.
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