Hullo All,
James Ruskin's labels usually place emphasis on releases that are more
techno than other types of electronic music, but Métier's first release on
Ruskin's Coda label is definitely an exception. The title track, ``Body
Electric'' is a smooth, almost electro-style track with a soft bouncing
bass drum and a luscious melody, reminiscent of tracks on labels like late
B12, Likemind and Void (subsequently, ``Body Electric'' samples the drum
track after the break from Nuron's ``Slipstream'' on Likemind). The
feeling is very, _very_ similar to Pollon's ``Lonely Planet'' (off
``Electratech'' on Scopex).
``Igili'' is a more downtempo track with a breakbeat drum track that
should bring to mind Kirk DeGiorgio and Steve Pickton (and their ilk),
quite a jazzy track with some dub undertones (try it on 45rpm and 4-6%
negative pitch :).
On side B, label owner Ruskin lets his remix skills flow and creates yet
another beautiful techno track out of ``Body Electric'' with the precision
and skill I've learnt to expect from him. Solid rhythm work with a
building string layer underneath very similar to those found on his own
``Prevention'',``Cause'' and others.
Claude Young's remix of ``Body Electric'' is just amazing. It defies
parallels with other tracks, sounding almost nothing like the
original. After listening to it through and through, I got a similar
feeling as with Irresistible Force's two early albums on Rising High. I've
never heard anything like this from Claude Young, so I'm very pleasantly
surprised. The ending is a bit abrupt, very anticlimactic, I could have
listened to the track for at least a few minutes more, and it could have
been structured a bit better.
CODA03 (12", Coda [UK], 2000)
Métier
``Body Electric''
A1 ``Body Electric''
A2 ``Igili''
B1 ``Body Electric (James Ruskin Mix)''
B2 ``Body Electric (Claude Young Mix)''
All in all, a very solid and surprising release from this new artist
(does anyone have any idea who Métier is?), highly recommended for a
variable crowd. Everyone who likes techno, electro, downtempo, electronic
jazz etc. should get a copy. A stunning release on Coda, though the
previous two (Ruskin's ``Definition Of EP'' and 65D Mavericks' (Richard
Polson and Nick Dunton who run the Surface label) ``Regeneration EP'') are
more in the style expected from a label run by Ruskin - deep (and
sometimes difficult) british techno.
Cheers,
--
nuutti-iivari meriläinen gordon at diversion dot org
http colon slash slash www dot diversion dot org slash
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