The best new singles this week
Our writers recommend the singles that matter
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
Idjut Boys – Portion Out Of Control (Droid)
A collective cheer rang out when the Idjut Boys saw fit to revive their Droid label from its ten-plus-year hibernation. If the arrival of ‘Dummie Willie’ in April this year was the most pleasant of surprises from the London-based duo, July’s ‘Speedball’ follow-up served only to increase the clamour. The Idjut Boys, after all, had barely featured in the new release section in the last five or more years.
A further three-month interval has elapsed, and the cosmic community are once again on the gratefully receiving end of another Idjut/Droid instalment, with Dan and Conrad side-stepping their habit of serving nuanced ‘version’ mixes of a core track to serve four standalone originals on the ‘Out Of Control’ EP. That’s not to say there isn’t a theme. Each track presented here dwells in the grubbier end of the Idjut Boys repertoire, veering a fair few clicks off the disco piste into what quite possibly constitutes techno territory, depending, of course, on where one positions one’s stylistic parameters.
However you appraise generic boundaries, the music here is unquestionably club-primed, with rhythm and bass firmly positioned on centre stage. Opening track ‘Drum Saucer’ rises up from the depths, with snarling bass and scattered drum hits propelling alien effects over an infinitely spacious dub landscape. Several degrees more divergent, ‘Gas On Tap’ features distorted rhythms and chirping acid licks intertwined over murky bass and piercing drums for a soundtrack to smoke machine and strobe. ‘Tartine De Merde’ (which, according to my patchy French language skills, roughly translates as shit sandwich) steadily reveals itself over a similarly sparse topography to that of its accompanying tracks, with deviant synth bass and ascending arpeggios darting across a foggy panorama.
Finally, perhaps the most bullish of the set is ‘Quick Bowl’, where hefty bass arps undulate over driving kick and fizzing snares for a fist-pumping end-of-record climax. There’s barely a moment to catch a breath here, with each track destined to carve up sweat-infested dancefloors – and elicit terror in some of the more fair weather/unsuspecting disco lovers out there.
PC
Awo Ojiji – Solidify EP (Control Freak)
Awo Ojiji has been bringing the kind of snappy verve to mutant bassweight club music that makes even the most jaded of scene-spotters peer up from their phones for an ID. Hailing from Graz and building a low key profile since a first outing on Eternal Ocean in 2020, the upstart producer just simply has a flair and finesse to his sound which demands attention.
It’s immediately apparent on the lead track for this drop on London-based leftfield club contingent Control Freak. ‘What A Mess’ starts in a charmingly dislocated airlock of space-age pads and staggered thumps n’ clicks, but the drop is a devastatingly crafty concoction juxtaposing patient synth snarls with a rippling, pitch bending run of subs which burrows deep into the pleasure receptors. It’s a simple trick, but amidst the spacious mix and scattered shards of sound design, it’s the stuff soundsystem dreams are made of.
‘Woodpecker’ has a swing set as wide as you like, and once the modulating pings start in earnest the sound becomes giddy enough to knock you sideways. The clarity in the production is staggering, achieving three-dimensional depth amongst a teeming spectrum of needlepoint ingredients, but it’s not just about studio sheen. Ojiji also successfully brings the two much more important elements to the table – warmth and groove.
Where contemporary broken techno sometimes falls into the trap of sterile studio posturing, Ojiji’s music brims with personality and hits in all the right places. Whether it’s the pronounced pounding on ‘Glyph’ or the accented rattle of the mid-range perc on ‘Mud’, there’s an instinct for what will actually set a dance off, rather than relying too heavily on the tricksy sound effects. There are plenty of those, but they’re an additional garnish rather than the fundamental of Ojiji’s sound. This fourth release builds on a stunning run to date – keep an eye on this one.
OW
Superpitcher & Repeat Orchestra – Superpitcher Meets Repeat Orchestra (Couldn’t Care More)
Düsseldorf eh? So much to answer for and not all of it from the olden days. Sure there’s Mouse On Mars flying a modern-day flag, but dig a little deeper in the city and you come across artists like producer Stefan Schwander, who works under various pen names – Antonelli Electr, Rhythm Maker, A Rocket in Dub. His work as Harmonious Thelonious (check out the Bureau B LP, ‘Plong’) is excellent.
As Repeat Orchestra he served up a couple of early 00s albums on Düsseldorf-based deep house label A Touch Of Class, an EP in 2006 and then nothing. Until earlier this year when ‘Infamous Lost Tracks’ popped up on Hamburg’s Couldn’t Care More. It’s a mellow six-tracker full of sleek, minimal floorfillers loaded to the gills with infectious grooves.
From the album, ‘Monks In The Club’ caught the ear of German-born Paris-based producer Alex Schauffler, who as Superpitcher has turned in some inspired lengthy wig-outs, productions that really stretch their legs. A long-standing leading light on Cologne’s Kompact label, it was only back in August that he released ‘Hollywood’.
Just two tracks, he really gets his cinematic jiggle on as each one unfurls over 20 minutes. He says it’s the soundtrack to a movie that only exists in his head, which is an idea very much at home with those who know UK labels like Spun Out Of Control or Burning Witches. It all bodes extremely well for this release.
So what we have here is original track, but flip it over and Superpitcher serves up ‘Monks In The Sky’, not exactly a remix but a 10-minute romp drawing on the essence of the track. Held in place by an thunderous kick drum and infectious bubbly synth riff, it builds and builds and builds adding a funky bassline, handclaps, smooth shimmering chords and tip-toeing keys. The breakdown is sweet. It’s like Frankie’s ‘Pleasuredome’ remixed by Weatherall on a deep house bender. It certainly has that Superpitcher epic feel. Its one of those tracks that even at 10 minutes feels too short.
NM
Patricia – Less Than 7 (Acid Test)
Max Ravitz is no stranger to squelchy sonics, having revelled in varying shades of subterranean mire since first adopting his Patricia production persona almost a decade ago. Always engaging, his gently off-kilter soundscapes have veered through any number of techno forms, blending analogue dirt and brooding electronics with an intriguing compositional savvy across releases for the likes of Spectral Sounds, Ghostly International, Black Opal and Nona. Even by his grubby standards, his full EP debut on Absurd Records’ Acid Test offshoot is steeped in aberrant, 303-laden swagger.
Now based in North Carolina, Ravitz was raised in Chicago before making the move to New York where he spent years immersed in the city’s DIY house and techno milieu, releasing kinetically charged sounds via various monikers and collaborative projects. Add to this his familial roots in the techno heartland of Detroit, and his simpatico with authentic US club aesthetics shifts into sharper focus. Ravitz’s first appearances on Acid Test came alongside fellow acid affiliate Tin Man back in 2020, while his ‘Higher Still’ on the label’s tenth-anniversary compilation represented an enticing303-laden precursor to the EP that follows here. Diving headlong into acidic oceans, the ‘Less Than 7’ EP is epitomised by bubbling 303 lines throughout, with each track embossed by the trusty rave staple.
Opening track ‘At A Gallop’ combines shimmering acid lines with growling bass and ice-cold pads carefully blended over stripped, snare-driven drums. Upping the tempo quite considerably, ‘Head Gap Width’ pitches grainy minor chord stabs over a hyperactive acid motif and snarling bass as stripped machine drums again maintain the tempo. On the reverse, we dip into deeper waters as the aquatic charm of ‘Winding To The Side’ unfurls over soaking wet acid refrains and fizzing ride cymbals, before ‘Coffee Computer’ completes a compelling collection with trademark mystique. Here, sub-heavy bass slowly undulates under floating chords and delicately detuned keys, with a swung rhythm of claps, snares and woodblocks adding energy to the groove.
PC
Alexander Arpeggio/Nixxon – Kunefe (Eine Welt)
Mond Musik label boss Alexander Arpeggio joins forces with Danish artist Nikolaj Nixxon’ Birgens for a rare release, presenting three vintage-sounding jams on the ‘Kunefe’ EP. The Berlin-based label boss and selector is best known for his curatorial abilities, having overseen a flurry of re-issues under the Mond Musik banner before launching the vinyl-only offshoot Eine Welt in 2016. Behind the platters he puts his love of oddball musical curios to full use, mixing up a blend of new wave, leftfield disco and obscure synth-related textures.
His production schedule is epitomised by a quality-over-quantity approach, with ‘Kunefe’ only his third record to arrive since his Spacelex debut back in 2009. The tongue-in-cheek story of the title is that the music is an ode to the Turkish desert, kunefe. Sure enough, the sultry German vocal sings heartily of an undying appreciation of the sweet dish as Eastern melodies cascade over new wave bass and steady drum machine hits in a lovingly crafted post-punk tribute. An instrumental version of the title appears too, alongside the altogether steamy b-side track Op Beni Kunefe’, where erotically charged female vocals sing out a sexy siren song, again ostensibly centred around an uncontrollable attraction to, you’ve guessed it, kunefe.
PC
Saucy Lady / XL Middleton – Go Steady (Star Creature)
Iridescent disco disciple Saucy Lady serves more boogie-flecked honey on her latest Star Creature single, pairing with producer XL Middleton on the unashamedly feel-good grooves of ‘Go Steady’. With a blazing stage persona that’s more than matched by her formidable musical chops, the “Beantown Disco Queen” (as she’s lovingly referred to by her creative circle) has steadily notched up an impressive body of material over the last six or so years. The Boston-based Japanese artist is already three albums deep and has scored releases on the likes of Soul Clap Records, Toucan Sounds, and Razor-N-Tape, with an appearance on 2020 Vision slated for the very near future.
‘Go Steady’ sees her resume her bountiful studio union with California’s XL Middleton, with the MoFunk label boss and proud purveyor of modern g-funk clearly sharing Saucy’s love of retro-flecked synth-boogie expression. The duo successfully paired for Star Creature on this summer’s Daydreaming’, and they pick up where they left off with yet more alluring ’80s-themed textures. Saucy Lady’s yearning vocal rides over opaque synth bass and agile keys, the infectious electro-funk flex augmented by soothing chords and powered by crisp machine drums. The music is an especially neat fit for Star Creature Universal Vibrations, so fans of the label are likely to be delighted by this latest joyous celebration of synth-led retro-futurism.
PC
Generation Next / Butterbandz / Big Strick / Ron Cook – Venom EP (7 Days Entertainment)
Following on from last year’s Trinity 12”, 7 Days are back again with another split disc representing this familial corner of Detroit house and techno. Generation Next, otherwise known as Tre Strickland, is up front, offering up that no-nonsense sound which hits with an unmistakable Motor City thump in the low end and plenty of hi-tech soul up top. ‘Hot Girls, Cold Beer’ is a straight-up affair which lands with the same immediacy as Omar-S at his best, working a simple set of riffs to perfection and keeping the vibe authentic and unpretentious at all times. Quite simply, you know when you’re hearing the real thing, and you know how well it will work in the right kind of intimate, heads down party.
Butterbandz, another member of the Strickland family, steps up with something a little sassier on ‘Anarchy’, bringing the mighty and all-too-lesser-spotted OB Ignitt along for a swinging jam with a dirty, catchy bassline and the haziest of barely-there pads. There’s space for a little key flexing later into the track, which comes on with a jammed-in-the-room flavour which makes the whole thing feel live and instinctive.
The Strickland patriarch Big Strick opens the B side up with a deep-ploughing house cut entitled ‘Jamblaya’. There’s some detail in the percussion to keep you locked, but really this is about the exquisite, mellifluous blend of pads and keys, adding up to a thoroughly toasty ray of sunlight to cut through these winter months. The record rounds off with a springy, melodically-charged slice of machine funk from Ron Cook, a Detroit techno lifer always lurking on the edges rather than getting the shine of his peers (like Juan Atkins, to name but one example).
There’s a steadfast quality to Big Strick’s 7 Days crew, staying true to the idea of Detroit techno without running short on inspiration. The tracks absolutely adhere to a formula of sorts, but soul and sincerity never sound over-familiar, however they’re transmitted.
OW
Even when his early sound was in thrall to a familiarly gothic strain of Berlin-leaning techno, Rhyw displayed an ability to move outside stylistic restrictions. Whether shifting tempos or threading in a certain playful texture, he has always seemed unafraid to throw curveballs into his music. As he’s developed since first popping up around 2016, those quirks have become a more defined part of his musical identity, growing in earnest on the Fever AM label he runs with Mor Elian until the more familiar techno forms become subsumed by more daring creative decisions. By 2020’s ‘It Was All Happening’ it felt like he had arrived at a vital juncture, managing to mould dancefloor gear out of the unlikeliest parts.
This all sets a perfect scene for an appearance on Voam, Blawan and Pariah’s temple of wobbly techno abstractions. It’s a solid co-sign for Rhyw, but equally feels entirely natural at this point, and that’s certainly the case as ‘Honey Badger’ thrums into gear. This perhaps displays the most ‘techno techno’ dimension of Rhyw’s sound at this point, playing with the kind of boisterous dynamics that made hits out of Paul Woolford’s ‘Erotic Discourse’, to name but one example. It’s less subtle, but equally it’s guaranteed to whip up a storm.
‘Sharknado’ more broadly reflects Rhyw’s various qualities, teasing the kind of nuanced, artful sound design on those jagged lead lines which makes his music so ear-catching. The broken kicks seem a little doggedly anchored to the purpose of a club track, while the rest of the track feels lithe and supple, but that perhaps speaks to the context as much as anything. One suspects a version on Fever AM might have switched up that nagging low end thump.
‘Kirkhusa’ seems to fold in the tweaked out synth work and the techno thrust more fluidly, creating an artful and wonderfully weird slammer where all parts seem to saunter forth with a shared purpose. But ultimately, it’s B2 ‘Foamcore’ which feels like the treat to hold out for, getting just a touch wilder with the FM blips and bleeps, keeping the beat sprightly and twisting and turning with poise. The energy positively bursts out of this track, sounding on the edge of chaos without ever slipping. In uptempo techno terms, that’s exactly where you want to be.
OW
Andi Otto – Bangalore Whispers (Pingipung!)
Andreas ‘Andi’ Otto has been responsible for a fair few left-of-centre musical highlights since he began releasing under the moniker in 2015. His albums on Pingipung, Multi Culti and Shika Shika Collective have each offered their own sets of idiosyncratic pearls, and 2016’s enigmatic ‘Bangalore Whispers’ remains one of his most memorable moments. Here, the Hamburg-based artist revisits the track, presenting the seductive original version alongside an all-new interpretation from fellow Multi Culti alumnus, Peter Power.
If ‘Bangalore Whispers’ has managed to live long in the memory, it’s fair to say that the mesmerising vocals of M.D. Pallavi provide much of the gravitational pull. The Karnataka-based Sugama Sangeetha singer’s enchanting cadence and subcontinental melodies are profoundly affecting, while some clever studio splicings and affectionate overdubs add a deliciously ethereal edge to the sonics. For anyone who missed it the first time around, the newly-formed record is already well worth the investment, but the inclusion of mystery man Peter Power’s rework certainly adds value to this tidy little 7-inch. His interpretation stays true to the original, with the addition of rolling tablas and dissonant textures serving to enhance the otherworldly quality of the composition. Captivating as flip, this one.
PC
Sweet Clover – You’re What I Need (Kalita)
Just when you think you’ve heard every golden era disco track you’ll ever need to, someone will peek behind a forgotten corner of a dingy basement and unearth another slice of dancefloor divinity. At the opposite end of the spectrum to the bombastic studio sheen of Salsoul’s canon are DIY gems like Sweet Clover, who have a ramshackle funk that makes Arthur Russell’s famously clattering Loose Joints grooves sound positively stiff in comparison.
‘You’re What I Need’ gets a reissue from London-based label Kalita, pulled out of obscurity from an extremely limited 1979 pressing on a jukebox 45 and sounding like it might lose control and career off the platter at any minute. From the sizzle of the hats to the wigged out jews harp-like tweakery coursing through the track, it’s every inch a heater. There’s not a great deal of info out there about the three singers taking the track sky high, but it was produced by Willie McClain who also worked with Curtis Mayfield, so you know the pedigree is there in this music. The label have clearly done their due diligence on this one, as demonstrated by the blissful extended 12” version presented here for the first time in all its glory. ‘Sweet Talk’ is no slouch either, but it’s ‘You’re What I Need’ that will have deep-digging disco heads freaking the hardest.
OW
This week’s reviewers: Oli Warwick, Neil Mason, Patrizio Cavaliere.