Dexter & Virginia - "Off The Beat" - (4:41) 135 BPM
Afik Naim - "Saturniidae" - (5:07) 140 BPM
Mesak - "Elekieli" - (5:34) 138 BPM
Review: Fresh from mixing the latest instalment of Fabric's mix series, Panorama Bar resident Steffi launches a new sub-label, Dolly Deluxe. Many of the tracks that feature on Fabric 94 also appear across the first four EPs on this offshoot. The fourth Dollydeluxe is (more or less) a family affair; Privacy integrates wiry electro funk with ghetto style vocals on "Broke", while "Off The Beat" is the result of a collaboration from Dexter and Virginia, two of Steffi's closest peers. Featuring Virginia's seductive chants and Klakson co-founder Dexter's out there, psychedelic electro shapes, it's one of the most unusual cuts over the four Dollydeluxe records. Affix Naim put out his debut record on Dolly last year and returns here with "Saturniidae", which mixes splurging bass with deep, atmospheric synth lines. Closing out the fourth volume is Finnish producer Mesas, with the mechanical whirrs and ticks of "Elekieli" underpinning crystalline melodies.
Review: Fresh from mixing the latest instalment of Fabric's mix series, Panorama Bar resident Steffi launches a new sub-label, Dolly Deluxe. Many of the tracks that feature on Fabric 94 also appear across the first four EPs on this offshoot. The second Dollydeluxe release boasts an atmospheric feeling, but with a dance floor bias. This is evident on Answer Code Request's stirring break beat opener, "Forking Path" and Voiski's brooding acid stepper, "Sound of Distance". Dexter, one of Steffi's closest peers, opts for a stern, steely electro approach on "66", while 214, fresh from his release on Lunar Disko, moves back towards ethereal sounds with the widescreen synths and ERP-style bass of "Sound Moments".
Review: After a five year hiatus, Steffi and Dexter's now legendary Klakson imprint is back in action. Said to have been due to pressing plant delays and being tied up with their respective careers, we can forgive them; so long as they continue with the quality releases they've shown us thus far. The dirty electro funk antics of "Troubles" sees Remy Verheijen awash in an analogue bubble bath to the vocoded tune of "I've got/so much troubles/on my mind". "Flashback" is dark and emotive techno-soul that you could have sworn was the work of Boris Bunnik for a second, but undeniably Dexter. The second half of the release gives us "Twilight Life", a tribute to the more electro-fied leanings of UR or Drexciya, as is "Patternmaster" which gets deep down and nasty in the aquatic fashion of the latter. Tip!
