Review: While frustratingly overlooked by critics, Sheffield veteran Richard Barratt's debut album under the Crooked Man alias was one of the finest house albums of 2016. Here, DFA has asked a bunch of suitably well-respected producers to give their own spin on tracks from the hot-to-trot set. Ostgut Ton types Barker & Baumecker steal the show with vocal and instrumental remixes of "Fools & Fanatics" that gleefully join the dots between Brown Album-era Orbital, vintage electro, early breakbeat, Chicago acid and piano house. Both sound like anthems in waiting. Elsewhere, DFA stalwart Juan MacLean provides a driving, surprisingly murky rework of nostalgia-driven sing-along "Happiness", while fellow NYC veterans WhateverWhatever give unlikely Northern Soul cover "I'll Be Loving You" a dark, machine-driven, acid-flecked makeover.
Review: Gobby's 'crack house' opus No Mercy Bad Poet was released earlier this year on James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy's celebrated DFA imprint to much fanfare. Now we are treated to some equally curious remixes by a bit of a current who's who on this edition. Starting out with North Carolina duo Edaan Brook and Brint Hansen aka Earthly who deliver a bass heavy, breaks driven rendition of "The Alcoholic" which sounds like an early 90's rave record on -8. Label staple and Black Dice man Eric Copeland delivers a clattering and typically lo-fi makeover of "Hometown" while Hype Williams' Dean Blunt also steps up to the challenge to provide a rather curious remix for "The Dishwasher".
Review: Since the departure of Dominic Butler, Factory Floor's Gabriel Gurnsy and Nik Colk Void has consciously moved away from the Throbbing Gristle/Cabaret Voltaire inspired sound with which they made their name. On 25 25, their third full length, they continue this voyage. While there are occasional reminders of their industrial roots dotted throughout the album, the most obvious influences this time round are acid house and no-nonsense European techno. Their tracks have always been subtly shifting, full-throttle, groove-based affairs, of course, but this time round they seem more intent on sound-tracking breathless, 4am dancefloor moments, rather than showcasing their arty, experimental roots. That all of the eight tracks bang hard is a given.
Review: Gobby! One of our favourite mystery artists touches down on the unstoppable DFA with a blinder of an album. Just a quick note: we are always amazed at how DFA manage to continuously reinvent their sound and style, and this has been a consistent characteristic of theirs throughout the years, so hats-off and dance shoes on! No Mercy Bad Poet is absolutely genreless, a whirlpool of daring electronic sound and rhythms that somehow manage to make sense as a whole. In fact, all eleven tunes could almost be considered a new genre, something that we herein classify as 'crack house'. That's right, there is just something utterly wring with each and every one of these tunes, and we love this release for it. It's just to refreshing to hear someone going beyond the genre boundaries and rules. Heavily recommended.
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