- Dublin's peripatetic All City label looks once again to Los Angeles with its latest release, bringing GB (Gifted & Blessed) back for his first solo release after an appearance, in 2010, on the label's All City L.A. Series. GB, meanwhile, seems to look east, to Detroit. Instead of the shuffling psychedelia of so much SoCal beat music, both tracks here take inspiration from Drexciya. "DOGON" is a fleet-footed electro number lashed with squelchy 303 and trim 808; opal-tinged chords take the lead in a shimmer of weird, mercurial harmonies. Despite the furious tempo, a softness prevails: the drums are cloaked in reverb and left low in the mix, and the synth's high frequencies have been tamped down, bringing out the hi-hats' sparkle. It's got the sweaty intimacy of a live set in a low-ceilinged basement.
"7 In 24" dials back to a cool 120 beats per minute, with bright arpeggios running out of phase against a swinging 808 pattern. (The title presumably hints at the math behind the track's curiously divided phrases.) The bumping groove evokes LA's low-rider culture, but the melody sounds like it's picking up shortwave signals from Japan. It's a simple, unassuming cut, but a beguiling one.
トラックリスト A 7 in 24
B Dogon