Roundup, February #3
From contemporary acid techno to a remastering of a forgotten 90’s techno gem, we roundup our favourite releases of the week. In no particular order:
LSDXOXO – SMD
The new single from Berlin-based breakout LSDXOXO is another techno scorcher that combines their Philly techstep and queer club influences with their prenchant for deliciously explicit phrasing. SMD, shorthand for a particular sexual favour that also doubles as a domineering insult, surges with an urgent synth appreggio and layers of machine beeps as another wickedly subversive and tongue-in-cheek entry into the techno canon by LDSXOXO. It serves as the opening track on their upcoming Dedicated 2 Disrespect remix EP, which sees tracks from last year’s excellent Dedicated 2 Disrespect (revisit our review here) reworked by producers including River Moon, VTSS, and Tygapaw. The EP drops March 25, via LSDXOXO’s own Floorgasm label. Pre-order here.
Nia Archives – Luv Like
Rising alt-R&B singer Nia Archives has been making waves with her captivating blend of mellow, smooth R&B and breakneck jungle, and on her latest single Luv Like she comes close to near jungle perfection with a love song. Jazzy, breezy guitar loops and Archive’s own soulful vocals float atop a racing pattern of breaks and beats, but it’s her finding of moments of calm between the chaos that really showcase her masterful use of jungle as a framework for the narrative of romantic chaos.
Snakeships & Tchami – Tonight
Snakehips team up with tech-house maestro Tchami on a massive house track designed to go hard. Opening with a piano led four-on-the-floor and classic R&B style house vocals, Tonight drops into acid territory with a wonky, relentless siren synth and hulking bass. Everything about this track is huge, as expected from the meeting of two current dancefloor titans who’ve been breaking the trends as much as they have been setting them.
Robert Hood (The Vision) – Toxin 12 EP
A remastering of an archive work is always a gift, a chance to experience the sound and energy of dancefloors past as if they’re happening for the first time. Originally released in 1992 under the alias The Vision, this EP from techno pioneer and Underground Resistance founding member Robert Hood is a piece of dance music history, restored to glory and ready to infect contemporary sound systems. Inspired by poisons and infections, it feels conceptually suited to the zeitgeist while the erratic, acid techno of tracks like H-Formula and A-472.0 sound incredibly current in the era of artists like VTSS and LSDXOXO, showing us that techno has always been more than an austere regular time pulse. Order it from Rush Hour Records here.
Little Boots – Out (Out)
UK pop star and producer Little Boots follows her recent string of disco revival singles with the chic and funk informed Out Out. Against a hand-clapping beat and piano chord pattern, Boots sings about the excitement of a night out on the town as funky modular synths and a bassline that references The Whispers And The Beat Goes On. It’s a shimerry, joyful slice of dance pop that’s designed to make you feel fabulous at the pre-game with it’s giddy effervescence and euphoric sense of anticipation.
