Four by Four by Four

Four records that I love at the moment for various reasons and which don't seem to have that much in common apart from the fact that they are loosely connected to house/techno are (takes deep breath) Bodycode: A Document of an African Past (Yore). I'm not sure why last year's Bodycode album was so overlooked, because Alan Abrahams is one of the most distinctive techno producers around. Anyway, ‘Body to Body’ sees him teaming up with vocalist Lerato, whose soulful vocals complement Alan's trademark spooky organ sound and make his distinctive sound even more palatable. Things get weirder on the title track though, which opens with abstract noises before a pitched down groove, led by a heavy electronic bass and featuring rambling vocals, appears. It doesn't really go anywhere but its tripped out rhythm sounds both alien and decidedly organic.
This month sees a lot of Donnacha Costello activity, mainly because he's putting out the 'Colorseries' album, but 'Black Bag Job', also on Minimise, shows that he isn't resting on his laurels. This time, the tracks are more Detroit-focused than before, but still contain the same wide-eyed sense of wonder and ability to create a creeping sense of euphoria. ‘Black Bag Job’ itself boasts a warm, soaring bass and compatible, if slightly detuned, chords over rumbling beats. As usual, Costello enhances the core elements with an enviable attention to detail, and his intricate percussion, heavy claps and neat edits makes this yet another an exceptional release.
If Costello's music is all about gradually reaching highs, then S-Max's 'Lovebombing' for Karloff is all about instantaneous thrills. With Karloff's recent form threatening to overshadow its parent label, Sub-Static, this four-track EP applies a cut-up, techno noisenik 90s attitude and the swing of Chicago to minimal’s hollow drums and glitchy percussion. It's a formula that's sure to be copied ad nauseam in the coming months, but until that happens, the wooden bass drums and delayed percussion meets the good-time Landstrumm-esque bass wobbles that prevail on 'Lovebombing' sound fresh and more importantly, like a lot of fun.
Finally, there is some connection between S-Max and Daypak Solo, because they come from a minimal background, but that's where the similarities end. I must admit that I'm not a huge fan of Daypak's other work - it focuses too much on trying to effect smart percussive and rhythmic subtleties and loses sight of the groove - but 'Bis an die Szene Bewaffnet' (a play on the German phrase for 'armed to the teeth': Daypak's smart variation here is 'armed to the scene') on Orac is a different proposition. It marks a change of tact; the busy percussion is thankfully absent and the title track is slowed down to a sparse, broken beat shuffle, accompanied by a bowel-shuddering, lopsided bass, which gives the track a sense of foreboding - a sentiment that’s echoed on the submerged horns of ‘Saaa’. Misery house anyone?