- After tracks like "Face of Rejection" and "Green Light," both being overtly melodic with the latter even making it onto a Friendly Fires Bugged Out compilation, "The Heist" comes as a bit of a surprise from the Drumcode-affiliated Alan Fitzpatrick. The track is not without character, but it's also largely functional—in a storming, massive way.
Fitzpatrick overloads his white noise machine, with pressure-releasing breaks aplenty, and the drum track rolls and thunders. The main hook is a thin, hollow and frayed synth line which sits underneath the churning rhythms and the other pads which set out merely to fill the room (and achieve it); the line creates a frantic atmosphere, and does it with aplomb, but like everything else here, that's about it. The drum track's the exception, which is interesting, clattering and chopping like the smacking of lips.
Slam's remix adds subtlety, a steadier affair with unassuming bass and a no-frills tech stamp marching, in characteristic Slam style, with house funk but techno drive. It clears the fog, and, consequently, there's more space to create a gothic mood with dark baroque chord stabs, and to fit in some syncopated ass-shaking chopping in the background. It still doesn't quite rise above filler, but if you're of the opinion that sets need filler, both of these will do the trick nicely.
トラックリスト A The Heist
B The Heist (Slam Remix)