It’s curious to see a split EP of such contrast as it follows a similar line of previous releases. Although the autumnal radiance and icy blasts of Electronic Leatherette’s first EPs are here, the expressed has changed. Exhausted Modern treads a delicate line of subtle shifts and refined forms while CCO twirls before he trudges with malicious intent. Quality music through and through from a label that is consistently getting the balance right.
Since its inception Electronic Leatherette has sought to blend warmer tones with colder fronts as it pursues established talent alongside newcomers. For its latest excursion Dmitry Distant’s label has looked to two artists who favour somewhat different styles, Exhausted Modern and CCO for Interaction Nr 1: Internal Reflection.
Exhausted Modern has garnered deserved attention with his dreamy scenes of stark angles and smoky synthlines. The co-founder of Endless Illusion Records brings these tinted hues into his offerings for Interaction Nr 1: Internal Reflection. Shimmering aquatic chords introduce “Cima Da Lägh” before a thick malleable bassline ascends. Crisp beats pin prick a meandering melody of silken strings as acid keys echoes in this superb piece. “Loss of Self-Identity,” as the name might suggest, is a more introspective affair. Laying in wait amidst the hollowed keys and decay are slithering drum rolls, a cerebral and darkly unsettling sibling to “Cima Da Lägh.” The tone and mood changes with the arrival of CCO. Of late the Swiss musician has been delving into the darker sounds of his machines, rinsing melodies in ash and soot with his co-conspirator Daniele Cosmo as Savage Grounds. Cosmo lends his vocals to “With Me,” hidden lyrics buried beneath a feral energy of warehouse raves and all-nighters. This is an intoxicated, arsenic dripping, bleary eyed acid monster, grunting, snorting and with an insatiable appetite, a pure floor disintegrator is the first offering. The Chicago flavoured “Serendipity” is up next. A brooding work of lo-slung basslines, rusted claps and uplifting whimsy that harks back to some of CCO’s earlier productions on his home label of Lux Rec.
It’s curious to see a split EP of such contrast as it follows a similar line of previous releases. Although the autumnal radiance and icy blasts of Electronic Leatherette’s first EPs are here, the expression has changed. Exhausted Modern treads a delicate line of subtle shifts and refined forms while CCO twirls before he trudges with malicious intent. Quality music through and through from a label that is consistently getting the balance right.
Interaction Nr 1: Internal Reflection is available on Electronic Leatherette.
