(08.17.07) MinimalRome is an imprint that is getting better with every release. This may
sound like a bit of a cheesy statement, but these Italians are putting out
electro releases that are simply surpassing the last; Composite Profuse’s
latest effort, My Old Red Car is proof of this. Fresh from his release on
Bunker Records, Composite Profuse, aka Heinrich Dressel aka V-MR aka Valerio
Lombardozzi and MinimalRome label Boss, is back on his imprint with a four
tracker of wicked electro.
The first thing that hits the listener is the somewhat evolution in the
MinimalRome sound. The love and respect for minimal electro is still there,
thick and true, but some new elements are being injected into this engine.
“My Old Red Car” has melodic vocoded lyrics, moving away from some of the
harsher computer vocals of past pieces. The track has a Rude 66 feel,
perhaps because of the way Composite Profuse employs the vocoder. Vintage
electro synthlines weave, the beats are crisp, the lyrics are indecipherable
and the track has an electro energy and feel that is warmer than some of the
more clinical electro MinimalRome has dabbled in. A really awesome track by
any electro lover’s standards. The second A-Side instalment, “Tiber
Seagulls,” opens with Drexiyan electro lines. It’s a track of sharp snares,
hypnotic synths and arching solar tones. Seagull-like electro warps circle
as sinister electro and beats collide in this dense work.
The B-Side starts with a parody of the EP’s A-Side opener, “My Brand New
Car.” Measured tones and beats ignite this auto. Melodious and electrosized
vocoder action return as light pangs of synth sound are released. The track
has a very playful break, vocoded out into melody and beat. There are
dancefloor aspects to the piece, as with its predecessors, which illustrate
the multifaceted nature of the MinimalRome sound. “Psycho Session,” perhaps
the warmest of the tracks, completes the EP. Lush analogue keys are
introduced to crisp electronic pangs before Lombardozzi employs his vocoder
for the final time on My Old Red Car. The track has an early Rephlex feel
to it, with the tones and sounds centred around laid back listening music
rather than underground electro. The track is a perfect way to round up an
outstanding EP.
Composite Profuse has demonstrated a number of styles and leanings with his
latest EP. The respect for electro that MinimalRome was found is here, but
there are new elements. The introduction of the vocoder brings a freshness,
adding new layers to the Italian imprint’s sound. The EP ranges from
dancefloor electro pieces, to works bordering on analogue electronica;
showing how varied and creative MinimalRome can be. It is a release that
gives the listener a different perspective on the label, and a release that
will catch the ear of any self discerning electro fanatic.
My Old Red Car is out now on MinimalRome
