The Exaltics – Some Other Place Volume 1
Feel that chill in the air? No, it’s not the latest bank of stormy weather coming in from the Atlantic, but the gloomy feeling that the latest Clone West Coast Series release invokes. After Serge decided to divide the Clone Empire a few years back into separate fiefdoms, the West Coast Series operation yielded the most impressive releases. It was the outlet for Versalife’s great Nighttime Activities series and also put out Legowelt’s brilliant, if overlooked Bayville Cove release.
As such, The Exaltics’ Robert Witschakowski is in good company. The German producer has graced other well-known Dutch labels like Crème Organization and Bunker, but this first edition in a planned tryptych of Some Other Place releases is one of his most detached, surreal records. It expresses itself using misty, moody synth sequences rather than the shuffling 808 that is the weapon of choice for electro producers. Even when Witschakowski heads off in a more dance floor focused direction, his approach is nuanced rather than forceful.
The one exception to this rule on Some Other Place Volume 1 is “Walking Through the Stratosphere”, where a gruesome bass cuts through horror synth lines and a buzz-saw rhythm grinds mercilessly, emulating the sound of a deranged killer in limb-dismemberment mode. By contrast, the title track is positively dreamy, with a squelchy bass and angelic synths combined for a melancholic electro-techno track reminiscent of a mellow Drexciya. For the rest of the release, Witschakowski shifts his focus to sound scapes. “Intro” and “Thrown Away” are textured ambient pieces and “It Still Remains” features speak and spell-type tones mixed with sensuous melodic sweeps.
Best of all though is the closer “One More Day”. With its tick-tock, slowed down beats, acid squelches and sweeping, ponderous textures, it’s reminiscent of that benchmark ambient release, Mystic Institute’s “Ob-Selon Mi-Nos” (Global Communication Remix). The only difference is that while that 90s classic exuded a sense of calm, “Day” brings with it a sense of understated terror, rolling in to engulf the listener like banks of mist in the classic horror movie The Fog.
Richard Brophy
Tracklisting:
1. Intro
2. Places
3. Walking Through The Stratosphere
4. It Still Remains
5. Thrown Away
6. One More Day