Ok, so I here I go starting in earnest again with some regular reviewing.
Unlike our man Gmos, I have little knowledge on the African music scene. No point in pretending. It’s not something I’ve spent a lot of time with, with only Honest Jon’s Shangaan Electro series that delved into this world and re-imagined it for us Western folk as the only other records I own that stem – in a way – from the continent. Sud approach things in a similar manner, this time handing the original Sudanese number over to Tama Sumo and Portable (he himself South African). The EP kicks off with my favourite version by Sumo. It’s certainly the more direct of the two remixes, taking the original vocal and samples of strings and placing them in a house context. It increases the impact of the originals strings and the additional toms and hi-hats offset with a chicago bassline make it a unique melding of two cultures.
Portable goes down a more off-kilter route, it’s all jittery rhythms and stabs, weaving in the vocals and adding flutes along the way to create a somewhat hectic whole; re-wiring more traditional grooves in an electronic context. I’ve never been much of a fan of Mr Abrahams but he’s having a lot of fun here and it’s pretty infectious. I can take or leave the original really. I’m imagining that, musically, it’s a somewhat traditional pop song from the region. It should also be noted that the release comes with a strong political edge; Boyoi is a political activist educated in Kenya after fleeing Sudan during conflict, who has returned to work in Aid in the newly formed Southern Sudan and the songs lyrics are plea for it’s people to become active in elections. Good to see something different from a label, not just a one sheet with “Will Sound Amazing in Berghain!” or fuckin’ whatever.
Sure while I’m at it I may as well continue the African theme, though this is a whole different beast altogether. Cut Hands is what happens when William Bennett, he of the legendary Art/Noise/Chaos merchants Whitehouse (not forgetting his bizarre Italo Dj alter ego, Dj Bennetti) delves into the world of African music and, as to expected, it’s suitably out there. A two tracker is probably not the best medium to contextualise his indulgences. The flurry of tribal drumming and percussion reshaped into some sort of fucked up primal techno design on the title track comes and goes rather quickly and I was left wanting more (I frustratingly still haven’t gotten my hands on last years double lp) than is on offer here. The flipside is an etheral ambient cut, that has a lightness of touch hidden behind it’s gloomy melodies that I wouldn’t normally associate with Bennett. It’s still a wonderfully evocative track, you can imagine yourself lost in a barren wilderness quite easily. Slow it down to 33 for a slighty more macabre take. You know if you made it Bennett wouldn’t listen to it the right way anyways. Overall the release is a bit brief and to be snarky about it it feels a bit like the painfully trendy Blackest Ever Black released it just ’cause releasing William Bennett is the sort of thing it should do. Let me mention now though that I am really big fan of BEB no matter how studied a label it is. The miserabilist in me is drawn to it’s oeuvre and I’ve also enjoyed this Vatican Shadow release from a few months back too, amongst others.
Like redneck America and “dance” music the rest of us have done a sterling job in totally ignoring Frak for the last 25 years or so until earlier in the year. Their superlative album on Digitalis, Muzika Electronic, set everyone’s tongues wagging immediately, probably thanks in no small amount to Boomkat pushing it as they do these things. It was barely out a week and copies were fetching 40 euro on discogs due to it disappearing from that shops site in a matter of days (how does one get over that hurdle? Go to Norman Records and get it there at retail price instead). But it is a scintillatingly smacked out collection of bizarre techno. Following on from that was the brilliant electo of Triffid Gossip – also on Kontra – and the match-made-in-heaven pairing of them with Sex Tags Mania, Borft.
Prisma is also pretty decent while not quite reaching the same heights as those other releases. Dried Grapes and Modest Trash are typically skewered and awkward, coming on like a trio who’ve eaten a batch of codeine and sort of clattered into their equipment. Slowly. In between they woke up a little from their slumber to deliver the 12″‘s highlight, Lust for Love, which aligns their sludgy bass with somewhat sweet melodies that float effectively over the sparse drums. Urgent is a bit too straightforward for these guys. Yeah, it does it’s job fine but we don’t really need another acid/707 cut in 2012, do we? It won’t make you fall in love with Frak but if you are a fan, Prisma contains some enjoyable fare.
Their contribution to Workshop’s latest V/A 12″ is in it’s own Frak way a rather jovial affair. It’s based around a short distorted melody that’s looped repeatedly throughout the song, not really doing much bar dipping up and down in key once every so often. It could do with being a bit more adventurous but it fits in well with the rest of the EP, which has quite the jaunty feel. 808 Mate start things off – wait for it – with a sleek bit of 808 action, carried along by a bouncing bassline and some nicely euphoric keys. Workshop doesn’t really do grand gestures, and the A1 has a gentle beauty to it, the kind you expect from the German imprint. Marcellis on A2 is more introspective, a gentle melding of electronics and processed acoustic guitar, the vocals repeatedly mumbling that “if you want we can boogie”. Maybe ask her for a slow dance on this number, fella. Schwiez Rec move us back into housier territory on the B1, once again keeping the listener in a mellow lull with it’s amiable riffs. There’s an innocent sweetness to the record which has kept it on the turntable over the last few nights as summer comes to an end.