electronic friday

Yep, it’s another one of these again: today we’ve got some clattering, unkempt house-not-house music; stomping bluesy house music; bright charming techno; and dark documents of an African past.

Beckett and Taylor – World of Me

Beckett and Taylor can’t do anything properly. They’ve been making clattering dance music together for a couple of years now and every release they seem to put out has rough edges, misplaced notes, poorly played live instruments. You name it, they mess it up. That’s part of the plan, of course. The duo delight in mistakes as long as the groove is good. “World of Me” has a great one. Definitely worth a download.

Roland Appel – Unforgiven

I oddly just turned in a review of this 12-inch for another website today. Here’s the skinny: “Unforgiven” starts just as strangely as its predecessor’s drone [the predecessor here is the excellent "Dark Soldier"]. Appel is as stiff as ever, trotting out a blues-y bassline over swelling strings and a touch of hand drum. Araba Walton lightly taunts us, repeating “You asking me?” before letting us know that “it’s all over” a few moments before Appel unleashes his synths on the crowd. Like “Dark Soldier”, it has no right to work and the arrangement is an awkward one, but somehow neither of these things matter. Appel’s force of personality simply negates much criticism you could level at it and the song takes on an anthemic status for bright Sunday mornings when you’ve finally finished your coffee and are ready to start your day.

Sennh – I Am With You

Sennh obviously went to the same school of bright, shiny techno as people like Stephan Bodzin, James Holden, Daso and Nathan Fake. This 12-inch is the best cover version of Fake’s “Dinamo” that I’ve heard in a while. Considering “Dinamo” isn’t available on eMusic, this might be your best bet. Oh, and if you like this, be sure to check into Daso’s “Thujon” as well.

Bodycode – A Document of an African Past

Really weird and dark tune on the A-side of this one. Bodycode transforms a morass of sounds into a slow-motion acidic jungle of deliberately lo-fi production values. Then on “Body to Body” things switch to the mainstream a bit, with a diva telling us how much she wants us and needs us. Both tracks are excellent, but for completely different times of the night.