Review:
The Pan European collective known as Shaddock did it right with their debut release from Hitsafe, and they follow with the sounds of Spanish producer Pilas. You may know Pilas from a clutch of minimal releases that have surfaced over the years, and Ellen Allien deemed fit to include a remix of his on her Fabric mix - however there's clearly been a swerve in the direction of his production. "Burros" is much more experimental in tone, almost referencing the click house movement that was popular a while back, though the fidgety robotics and stripped down programming are embellished with a gloriously warm bass. Demonstrating their fledgling prowess, Shaddock enlist Kassem Mosse (The Bosse) to remix the track, with the resultant effort a heavily narcotic descent into a cacophony of crashing drums and bubbling sonics. The remaining tracks demonstrate Pilas' versatility - bringing more traditional house sounds to the fore via the simmering cinema noir Motor City bump of "Without You" and the fully stacked jack of "Monologue". Despite this being only their second release, there's a consistency in sound, presentation and quality that should ensure Shaddock remain a label to keep a watchful eye on.