Destination
"Definition of Love"
In-Tec/UK white label
The story of Christian Smith is beginning to read like the old-school Marvel
Team-Up comic, where every month, Spider-Man would go into action with
another Marvel super-hero. Here, Smith and Trevor Rockliffe join forces as
Destination to deliver a nice piece of filter house-inflected techno (I
hesitate to call it tech-house, which to me implies a lack of dancefloor
punch) with a really nice breakdown/build-up in the middle. The b-side is a
G-Flame (Colin McBean, formerly one half of The Advent) remix that really brin
gs the noise, however, combining flattened-kick, compressed-house funkiness
with the trademark Advent aggression; the perfect mix.
***1/2
--Alan Oldham
Soul Destroyaz
"Destroyed" 2x12"
Synewave/Kombination Research UK white label
Speaking of The Advent, it seems like I can't do a piece for Mixer without
one of their new white labels coming in right before deadline. And as long as
the incredible Cisco Ferreira keeps bangin' shit out like this UK-distributed
album on US-based Synewave, I won't be complaining. Appearing here as Soul
Destroyaz, Cisco follows up his previous Synewave EPs ("Luftcontroller" and
"Mind Tricks", which I rocked on my BML mix CD "Live Sabotage", also appear
here) with more of the same; evil, pulsating, uncompromising,
late-night-at-Tresor techno madness that makes you make that Darth Maul face
when you hear it. I should be sick of his sound by now, but Cisco keeps it
coming, raw and off-the-hook. England's leading techno producer strikes
again, two discs' worth, live and direct. 'Nuff said.
*****1/2
--Alan Oldham
Joel Mull
"Sunset" EP
Inside/SWE
Another brilliant three-tracker from the prolific Joel Mull. Like his other
productions for Lask and his own label Inside, Mull has mastered just the
right mix of house (funky basslines, aggressive Latin percussion), techno
(compression, BPMs) and trance (lush string arrangements) to make the whole
room light up. I played this out to 10, 000 people at "Together As One", New
Year's Eve in Los Angeles and when the heavy strings came in over that
funky-ass, uncompromising bottom, it was
all-hands-and-fake-titties-in-the-air and the whole millenial, peace-and-love
vibe built to an insane, uniquely West Coast crescendo. Just the formula to
smooth out the end of those rough-and-ready techno sets without resorting to
actually playing obvious, arpeggiated trance (ugh). How did this damn Swede
get so deep ?
****1/2
--Alan Oldham
Christian Smith and John Selway
"Vanguard" 2x12"
Tronic/SWE
Another collaboration by the aforementioned Mr. Smith and New York City-based
Mr. Selway, following up their previous appearances on In-Tec and Tronic.
Taking cues from his fellow Swede Joel Mull, Smith (and Selway) juxtaposes
dark basslines and percussion with atmospheric, dramatic string washes. All
the tracks (six in all) seem to be variations on each other, however, no hard
shifts in style or tone, similar sounds and samples. That being said, I'm
thankful that one-time Satellite Records' mainstay Selway's influence didn't
push the record into more of an electro mode (as in his 12" on Ultra); they
kept the focus on the 4/4, where it should be. Mr. Smith reports that his
next one (also on Tronic) will be in the same vein as this one.
***1/2
--Alan Oldham
Moby
"Mobility" EP
Instinct/US, 1990, out-of-print
I hope my editor indulges this Honorable Mention as I go back to the future
for the new year. Moby probably doesn't want you to remember this far back
(I'd imagine his "official" discography starts at around "Everything is
Wrong"), but this was his first 12". His biggest-ever hit, "Go", was actually
the b-side of this release. Although the best moments of "Go" didn't actually
surface until its endless remixes (I still play the punk-rock-techno
"Rainforest Mix" on Outer Rhythm UK out to this day, and the new-school kids
always rush the decks to see what it is), "Mobility" is an incredible piece
of cool, evocative, string-washed techno music that evokes the neo-ambient
vibe of the day yet doesn't slack on the sub-sonic (remember, LFO was hot
back then) bottom end. The minimal, wind-chimed "Mobility (Aquamix)" is the
one that kills me dead ten years later, though. Lays me out, makes me sad.
Deep music, late nights on my old radio show. "Why Does My Heart Feel So
Bad", indeed.
*****
--Alan Oldham
