Illustrative of the complex and daring compositions these brothers were attempting some two decades ago. Anything else lurking on the DAT tapes?
Some nights are hard to manage. I have this problem with Analogical Force here in Madrid. The excellent club night has transformed itself into arguably one of the most exciting electronic labels in recent years. A cracking roster of live musicians playing here in Madrid has been mirrored on the label, a label which has sought out established talent alongside new artists to breath new life into braindance. D’Arcangelo played at AF recently and, as it was a Saturday and other odds and ends of life got in the way, I missed it.
I have seen D’Arcangelo play before. I have followed them since their earliest releases on Rephlex and, I must admit, it is those early productions that exemplify a very special period in the musical journey of this pair of brothers. The grating industrial percussion of their first self titled EP countered by the soothing electronic lullabies of “Diagram VII Milk MX.” Suction Records agreed, reissuing that same record last year with more than one pressing. The Canadian imprint is returning to the Italian duo, this time with a mixture of mostly unreleased material and archival works.
The guttural punch of “Callying Sybil” is the first thing to clout the listener in the ear. Cast in a similar mould to the debut offering from D’Arcangelo’s eponymous EP on Rephlex, “Somewhere In Time,” this track pummels out a raw industrial beat. Counteracting this clattering percussion float delicate notes, sweetened kesy sailing against a grey and harsh backdrop. Those searing snares continue into frenzied and frenetic “AOM*2” before the lonesome scratched and broken beats of “Qabbalah.” The flip of II, as in its predecessor, is a more melodic affair. At the front of the queue is the chiptune inspired fragility of “Diagram V.” Somewhere between electronica and electro beams a cheery D.I.Y. innocence that characterized much of the halcyon Rephlex sound. Previously released on Suction, “Diagram XI” follows. The opening rumbles to a crisp and shrill hi-hat before soaked notes bleep and squelch. A cracking example of the D’Arcangelo sound. The final installment comes with “Diagram XXIII.” Although those C64 sounds continue into the finale the track has more of a modern sound to it with clean keys thumbing a solid 4/4 beat.
Nostalgia can be pretty powerful. It can have quite a clouding effect, like a good swig of cheap wine, and make choices a more difficult affair. The rosy tinted glasses can lead to a case of blurry eyed myopia where the past takes on a beauty it never really had. Thankfully, II doesn’t suffer from such a condition. The 12” does have weaker offerings, “AOM*2” for example does not particularly standing the test of time. Nevertheless, as a whole the EP is illustrative of the complex and daring compositions these brothers were attempting some two decades ago. Anything else lurking on the DAT tapes?
II is available on Suction.
