1210A broaches, breaches and broils styles. Soft moments are later hardened in jagged shards, hopeful echoes disintegrate into audio rack and ruin.
Political division is part and parcel of life in Northern Ireland. Nationalism, Loyalism and the plethora of issues that surround a joint party devolved government of two groups who are poles apart. The recent arrest of Sinn Fein’s president Gerry Adams hasn’t done anything to make Northern Ireland any easier. But thankfully, there is some electronic creativity amidst this quango-filled political quagmire.
One Electronica, the Belfast imprint of Samaan and The Superior Inferior, has been catching the imagination of the electronic faithful with 12”s of Techno, House and Electro infusions. Now the label on the Lagan is setting sail with a new artist, and a top producer at that. D’Marc Cantu is one of the pioneers of Jakbeat, a long time collaborator of James.T.Cotton and Traxx, as well as a veteran of labels such as Crème Organization, M>O>S and of course Nation. Last year he featured on Samaan’s excellent Merchants and Missionaries, turning his hand to “Hutching’s Palate.” Now it’s time for a full EP, well a 12” and a 10” EP.
The Ann Arbor artist introduces 1210A with the slow and subtle movements of “Cloud World,” that same lightness of touch flowing into the oscillations of “2271.” “Just One” sees the Michigan man return to the rhythms of Chicago, quirked notes spiking. Detroit and Chitown divisions are blurred, haunting and hypnotic patterns spinning. Aggression arrives with the thrust and strike of the ferocious “Feed.” Brutish beats and hard-line harmonies. Hostility breaks into all out violence for the 10”. On the needle drop Cantu transports us back to 1992 and the dawn of Acid Techno. Analog (USA) and Synewave scream as influences for the speeding 303 behemoth of “Microdots” ravages. Cantu finishes in full jack attack mode. Heavy distortion, napalm drum rolls and crippling bass for a nuclear floor meltdown.
One Electronica have hit the nail on the head with this founding father of Jak. The six tracks feel more like an album than an extended EP. 1210A broaches, breaches and broils styles. Soft moments are later hardened in jagged shards, hopeful echoes disintegrate into audio rack and ruin. A serious piece of work from the Detroit denizen.
1210A is available on One Electronica.
