Exciting news today as arch Juno Plus favourites In Flagranti have revealed details of their second album proper, entitled Worse For Wear, and set for release in April.
A cheeky reworking of Frankie Goes To Hollywood aside, all has been a bit quiet at Codek central of late, which is odd because there was a moment in 2010 when In Flagranti seemed to be on a remix or single release every week. The duo have clearly spent the time out of the spotlight well, grooming some new talent in the shape of East London newcomer MODE.
Presented under the same Electric Fling banner as the awesome and strangely under rated release with Rory Phillips and G & S, MODE’s debut release comes in the sprawling analogue delight of “Lo Fi Odyssey”. Set at a pace which will please the slo mo disco fans, this track astounds with the richness of sonic texture. The languid beat is wrapped in a multiplicity of melodic touches from warm piano brushes to twilight Rhodes flourishes and – like all memorable compositions – slips through several subtle rhythmic shifts across its eight minute duration.
In Flagranti themselves are the first to rework “Lo Fi Odyssey”, marrying the pensive piano touches to typically raw syncopation, with the upwards shift in pace complemented by some heavy Detroit style washes and a rough bassline for a refreshingly different sound from the duo. Opting to explore the ethereal capacities of the original, The Stallions (Lovefingers and Lee Douglas) drown the Rhodes melodies in hypnotic delay and add layers of sitar and subtle cowbell for a richly rewarding remix. Maxidisc boss and all round disco impresario Pete Herbert is on hand to steer proceedings back towards the dancefloor with a remix which is propelled by a massive arpeggiated synth bassline. This is one of those releases where everyone involved excels.
Tony Poland
It must be great being In Flagranti – rightly lauded by the chairmen of the discothèque for their astounding back cat of filth infused cowbell crudities (which stretches all the way back to the days before electroclash) the Swiss duo of Sasha Crnobrnja and Alex Gloor currently enjoy the jetset DJ lifestyle, get asked to remix all and sundry, can hand pick who they want to remix their own tracks and still have the time spare to go though reams and reams and films of 70s porn to shoot pretty hilarious promo videos and cover their vinyl releases in.
2010 started with “Ex Ex Ex”, their last single proper and a slew of accompanying sweat inducing remixes from the likes of Riton, DJ Wool, Headman and Golden Bug that got maximum dance floor exposure from club veterans like Diplo through to young whippersnappers such as Stopmakingme. Since “Ex Ex Ex’s” release the Swiss duo have put out a couple of under the counter edits on the sly (of course all available at Juno Download) and some five months on we now have their latest single.
“Through The Rabbit Hole” sees Sasha Crnobrnja & Alex Gloor, once again working with sultry vocalist Natalie Smash, demonstrate their adeptness at delivering slow burning chuggers along with the more familiar brand of filth inflected uptempo disco jams with the added bonus of some truly genius remixes. The original is five minutes of pure smacked out sex groove with Smash’s woozey vocals wrapped round a lolloping drum beat and a honky tonk approach to arppegiated synths. There’s also a real structure to the track which is sometimes lacking from the majority of music that gets swept under the nu-disco umbrella. The aforementioned remix genius comes in the shape of four truly different reinterpretations courtesy of the new and old guard of Italian discoteria and two British producers demonstrating their prowess under new guises.
Despite being considered as something of an innovator in Italo disco you can count the number of official remixes from Danielle Baldelli on both hands, thus it’s something of a coup on In Flagranti’s part to secure a remix from Baldelli and cohort Dionigi which is all snappy percussion, plonky keys and yet more arppegiated synth. Indeed this could be transported from the minimal wave era that has been documented so well recently via Stones Throw and Angular. A more contemporary Italian reimagination is offered up via supergroup Clap Rules, with a remix that retains the slow tempo of the original and fully demonstrates the nuances of the trios’ production skills – some lovely farty bass on this one.
Justin Robertson’s reputation as best dressed chicken in the discothèque is bettered only by his long list of staunch productions under a slew of aliases – from Lionrock to Revtone – and it is under his latest Deadstock 33s that “Through A Rabbit Hole” gets reworked as an off kilter sea shanty of a remix with a killer bass-line. Matt Waites premiered his Moscow alias at the turn of the year via “Throw Up” on Endless Flight and more recently on Lo Rec’s LOEB offshoot, with his love for the propa haus sound allowed to beam through away from the electro confines of his Nightmoves moniker. His remix of “Through The Rabbit Hole” ups the tempo and is aimed squarely for the dance floor – a neat way to end off yet another superlative EP from In Flagranti.
Review: Tony Poland
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Artist: In Flagranti
Title: Ex Ex Ex
Label: Codek
Genre: Techno, Electro
Format: Digital
Buy From: Juno Download
Despite plugging away at excellent filth infused disco releases on their own Codek imprint since the turn of the century, In Flagranti’s rise to prominence in recent times has been mostly down to the sheer amount of remixes they’ve been commissioned to undertake.
The Swiss duo have lent their trademark sound to acts on labels as diverse as Kitsune, Rong/DFA, Phantasy Sound, Permanent Vacation, Backyard and Bang Gang in just the last 18 months yet the Sounds Superb series of edits they compile is rarely mentioned beyond the realm of obscure discoteria fans, and their album Brash & Vulgar was released last year to no real fanfare.
This might all change with “Ex Ex Ex”, their new single which features the vocal talents of long term collaborator Natalie Smash (nee Smith) which is a joyous excursion into glam rock meets farmyard discopogo with a potential for crossover stunted only be the usual smutty artwork. That this is the first In Flagranti release in which they are the object of remixification, with a slew of their former subjects returning the favour, should be seen as notice of their intent.
Bear Funk’s resident Italian Bottin turns in a Ze Records inspired reimagination, sometime Gomma artiste Golden Bug continues his excursion into heavily percussive electro house and is topped in the lysergic house stakes by the perennially tipped Riton. Relish boss Headman eeks more life out of the punk funk template whilst Hercules & Love Affair’s Andy Butler stays truer to the tempo of the original which builds from a haze of deep synth into a right disco chugger. It’s left to In Flagranti’s NYC neighbour DJ Wool of The Glass to turn in the outstanding treatment which is all Hi NRG Italo and has Disco Bloodbath anthem written all over it.
Review: Tony Poland
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Artist: In Flagranti
Title: Sounds Superb Vol 6
Label: Codek
Genre: Disco/Nu Disco/Re-Edits
Format: Digital
Buy From: Juno Download
The imperious In Flagranti continue to channel their love of obscure 70’s danceteria, imaginary bands, anagrams and disregard for copyright laws with this, the sixth installment of their Sounds Superb series of edits. The somewhat murky nature of these releases means that the original source material is never disclosed, which delights the countdown loving disco trainnspotters and frustrates music reviewers in equal measures.
The standout track on vol 6 is “Psuedo Wind” by Sanda Doris, with a typically percussive beat combining with a vocal sample familiar to fans of L-Vis 1990’s best work before dropping into a male vocal cover version of Diana Ross’s wedding disco classic Upside Down.
The spirit of Melvin van Peebles is channeled throughout Exotic’s “Sip Lace”, a moog heavy blaxpoitation funkateer that is perfect early set fodder. “Fried Fence” is further demonstration of the Brooklyn duo’s penchant for slap bass and rough vocal editing and “Calico Quiver” takes the disco to the Carribean with a steel drum heavy two minute track that drops in disco strings to perk things up.
Review: Tony Poland
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Artist: In Flagranti/Rory Phillips/G & S
Title: Electric Fling
Label: Codek
Genre: Disco/Nu Disco/Re-Edits
Format: Digital
Buy From: Juno Download
Despite plugging away at filthy disco workouts for years, it took the reissue of “Business Acumen” on Kitsune to really put In Flagranti in the hearts of the club going public. Not that the Brooklyn based duo will complain as since then, they’ve been called upon to create a slew of remixes, complemented by a superlative album and a continual pilfering of obscure discoteria with the Sounds Superb edit series. They end a superlative year with Electric Fling, the aural result of a spontaneous jam session between the duo and some of their London based kindred spirits in G & S and Rory Phillips and presented in the requisite 70s porn imagery.
Surprisingly In Flagranti’s effort, “Erector Set”, is probably the least impressive of the three track EP, being a somewhat understated slow burner. “Portable Control” by G & S (aka ex Nightmover Matt Waites and Say Yes! resident Nadia Ksaiba) functions at a similar tempo, but certainly retains the interest of your ears with synth washes and cowbell aplenty.
Rory Phillips contributes the standout track here with “Solar Breakfast”, his first original production, which is a beast of a track and reminiscent of In Flagranti at their finest. After a year of awesome remixes of The Units, Jackpot and The xx, this track certainly marks Phillips out as one to watch.
Review: Tony Poland
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