Assassin (Shout Out Out Out Out remix) - (6:02) 115 BPM
Blue Girls (feat Retriever - Richard D. Clouston remix) - (7:02) 110 BPM
Blue Boys (feat SOS - Chmmr remix) - (2:16) 117 BPM
Adolescent Sex (Andy Blake live dub) - (6:50) 121 BPM
Review: 20 years into his career as Headman, Robi Insinna is in a nostalgic mood. He's decided to offer up a series of retrospective compilations featuring original productions and remixes, some of which were previously unreleased. To begin the series, he's prepared an epic collection focusing on archive cuts recorded between 2001 and 2011. There's plenty of weighty, low-slung goodness to be found throughout - much of it inspired by a mix of post-punk, punk-funk, no wave and dub disco -as well as some stripped-back, synth-powered hedonism (see the 'Rework' of his collaboration with Yello's Deiter Meier, 'Gimme'). Some of the included remixes are rather fine, too, with highlights including Chicken Lips' sleazy, TB-303-powered take on 'It Rough', In Flagranti's sweaty revision of 'Gimme' and Chmmr's throbbing, delay-laden re-wire of 'Blue Boys'.
Review: A warm welcome back to Robi "Headman" Insinna, who returns to Relish for his first solo single for two years. Typically, "Dechainee" is a woozy and stylish affair, featuring a breathy French vocal from Justine Is Collete, cascading synthesizer lines, dub-flecked drums, and clear influences from minimal wave and post-punk synth pop. Borusiade provides a deliciously atmospheric, dancefloor-friendly interpretation built around hypnotic drum rhythms, throbbing sub-bass and druggy, pitched-down vocal samples, while Optimo Music man Mr TC successfully layers up unsettling electronics, jaunty analogue bass and fizzing drum machine hits on a sweaty, mid-tempo interpretation. Insinna's own vocal-less Dub completes a fine package.
Review: What really impresses about this new Headman single is the bulging remix package. While the original version of "Turning" is quality - think eyeliner clad no-wave goes down the disco -the remixes take it to thrilling new places. Take your pick from The Emperor Machine's epic analogue dub-disco, Scott Fraser's Brown Album-era Orbital tribute (the "Basement Riposte" mix), Murphy Jax's delightfully E'd-up retro-futurist house take (thrillingly analogue and breezily upbeat) and a typically sludgy reinterpretation from Richard Fearless and Death In Vegas that's the stuff of blood-stained nightmares. It's the latter - as formidable and spooky as ever - that really stands out.
Review: Swiss eccentric Robi Insinna seems to be having something of an identity crisis. This sixth solo full length is credited to both Headman - his now familiar alias for coursing, punk-funk influenced dancefloor attacks - and his given name. As if that wasn't enough to baffle the easily confused, 6 also includes contributions from an impressive array of guest bands, producers and vocalists, including Hiem's Bozzwell, Red Axes, Brassica and The Emperor Machine. Musically, it's business as usual, with the ten murky but stylish tracks variously fusing coldwave synths, punk-funk basslines, dub disco grooves, spiralling electronics and a smidgeon of acid house into wonky and entertaining new shapes.
Review: Spearheaded by three tracks from Headman himself, perhaps this latest Relish compilation finds its wild card number in a sweet and arguably rare Petar Dundov remix! With the likes of Eliezer & Dangur and Aheadacheaday pushing a harder edged and new wavey sound, pull yourself out from the industrial punk zone with M Love's slow-mo rave and drum machine epic alongside the hypnotic and percussion heavy grooves of Eliezer & Zillas On Acid. New wave and krautrock infused techno for the momentarily absent dancefloors, Relish Compilation VII piles of the weight with an added touch of Headman funk to balance it out.
Review: For 'BORIV' read 'Best Of Relish 4', as Headman's label serve up another best-of collection, this time drawing mostly on the years 2009-2011. Featured artists include Daniel Avery, David Gilmour Girls and JR Seaton, as well as label boss Robi Insinna in both his Headman and Manhead guises, and the album comes packed with exactly the kind of angular, new wave-y nu-disco and electro you'd expect, complete with some new mixes to tempt long-term fans. What's most interesting, though, is that these tracks don't sound half as experimental or out-there as they did 10 years ago, which speaks to just how influential a label time has proven Relish to be.
