The Analogue Cops & Blawan – Cursory EP review

The Cursory EP is the second collaboration between Italians in Berlin The Analogue Cops and UK bass producer Blawan. It’s the debut release on a new label run by another Italian duo, Raw People, but what is more notable is that the release maps out new possibilities for that grey area where house, techno and bass meet. “Aurum”, with its loose, organic drums, could be easily mistaken for a Workshop release were it not for the wired vocal sample and interplay between the spacey, ambient chords and the arrangement’s cheese-wire percussive licks. “Illy” is straighter and more representative of the Analogue Cops’ approach, with its filtered groove and insistent stabs underscored by firing percussion, but it sounds functional when played next to “Quarto”.

The standout cut on the EP is based on a driving but more offbeat rhythm, while viscous acid lines cosy up to crashing cymbals, creating a woozy, edgy feeling. Put simply, “Quatro” is the kind of track that captures lost moments from late nights without making the listener feel uncomfortable. Finally, “Sickle” sees the trio return to dance floor techno, but with a difference. Blawan’s input ensures that the rolling rhythm is fluid and less regimented, while the rasping percussion that tracks the building chord is rougher than a Ryanair red-eye out of Berlin on a Monday morning.

Richard Brophy