- New Zealander Simon Flower debuts on Poker Flat with a slice of emotive techno that is not only good, but is also a more than reasonable imitation of Jeff Mills and Robert Hood during their Axis period in the early nineties. Built on a melody that undulates and drives through a never-ending subterranean tunnel, 'The Whisper Had It' peaks and troughs cleverly to give the impression of drama. There are moments when it threatens to go off on a tangent but it never quite does, instead ending up at its point of departure. It's a cyclical journey that doesn't disappoint.
Redshape's Discodub' has a slightly harder edge, turning up the pressure with a heavy kick and spasmodic jets of melodic white noise. All the elements of the original remain, but like a lot of recent remixes, the trick is in the slight rearrangements. The most telling difference is that the volume has been raised ever so slightly. Meanwhile, Mark August subtly funks the track up, keeping the high-end arpeggio and the poignant background waves of sound, but opting for a more shuffling beat. It works very well, given that the pace of the original isn't quick.
So is imitation the sincerest form of flattery? I'm not saying that these tracks aren't original, rather that they update a sound somewhat. While this record doesn't offer much that is new, it does show how far ahead of the game the second wave of Detroit, never mind the first, were all those years ago.
トラックリストA1 The Whisper Had It
B1 The Whisper Had It (Redshape's Discodub)
B2 The Whisper Had It (Mark August remix)