(03.22.06) This record follows the formula of Karl Marx Stadt’s 1997-2004, it collects two vinyl EPs, one from the past and another one released to coincide with the CD. The title is also clear: first you have six mixes of “Removed,” and then six mixes of “Acetate,” with the nice bonus track “Fabric” which is on CD only.
The “Removed” side starts with an eerie rework by Arovane, followed by a rustling skeletal dub reassembled by No.9 and then the tension increases with the “Vacuous Movement mix” by Multipara which is almost a living thing, heart-beating and deep breathing between noisy reverbs and ticking drums, very much unsettling but even more fascinating. To relax a bit there’s the unmistakable crackling dusty dub of Pole, just before the original edit is unleashed: it’s a sublime piece of minimal dub, where the deep rhythm is overwhelmed by whirling noise, composed by supersaturated reverb and feedback. Finally, the “Infarct mix” by Artificial Duck Flavour is, despite the title, a regular and steady hybrid between hip-hop beats and industrial distorsions, with only some reminiscences of dub moods. “Fabric” is something the vinyl addicts will sadly miss, because it’s an absolute masterpiece of slow paced techno dub, every time I listen to this tune I’m completely charmed, there’s no use in spending meaningless words describing it. I would say it might justify the purchase of the entire album, but you could say so for the other five tracks (at least). The first being the original “Acetate,” less spooky and claustrophobic than its predecessors, with joyful vibes over a pulsating beat, and whose remixes are literally another side of this record, maybe it’s the time gap between the first EP track or maybe it’s just the choice of the remixers.
DJ Maxximus pushes steppy breaks and woofer crushing bass, with a dubstep style very close to his latest releases, while Something J sets up a grime environment for the lyrics of Bill Youngman. These two mixes retain a almost no elements from the original version, while James Din A4 and Modeselektor pick up just the happy tones: the former adds some sugary synths and creates a bouncy, whistling techno track, while the duo jump from a slow tempo to a jungle rush, always emphasizing the basic uplifting melody. Last but best, comes Claro Intelecto with the pure essence of techno concentrated in five minutes, the combination of sneaky sounds and vibrating toms send shivers down the spine. There are no clearly recognisable samples from “Acetate” here too, but it’s really the last thing you should think about when listening to such a perfect tune.
There are no alternatives. You must own this record, seriously. (Buy it at Forced Exposure)
Removed / Acetate is out now on Lux Nigra.
