Disco Praline’s back catalogue has had a focus on the prefix of the label’s title: Disco. Starlight Boyz offered up two discos of nitro fuelled electro disco, Odessa gave an analogue mirror-ball odyssey and Kelton Prima gave his take on the cosmic resurgence. The Belgian label is sidelining disco for the moment and going back to some raw roots. For the first time the West Coast Sound of the Netherlands is being represented on Disco Praline with Mr Pauli and DJ Overdose coming together under their squalid Novamen moniker.
Mr Pauli, aka Ingram Pauli, and DJ Overdose, aka, have only come together a handful of times over the past decade to form Novamen. Releases have spanned iconic labels such as Bunker, Murdercapital and Viewlexx. Despite the duo only producing half a dozen Novamen records each one has found a certain degree of acclaim, arguably Lies of 2008 being the pinnacle of their back catalogue. Nevertheless, both Pauli and Overdose have been expanding their own discographies. Mr Pauli has found his work finding a greater audience on imprints such as Viewlexx, Clone, Moustache Records and recently Cyber Dance Records. Likewise, DJ Overdose has been busy. Lunar Disko Records have just put out Overdose’s. Overdose is responsible for the works of Dream Disco and teamed with Alden Tyrell is responsible for the highly acclaimed releases by The Hasbeens. For this latest electronic dish Pauli and Overdose are back to their electro roots, with five tracks across two sides. So, with such an impressive catalogue what have the two Den Haag veterans put together for Disco Praline?
The record opens with “Freak of the Week,” a track that immediately hits the listener with recognizable electro sounds. 808s and 909s spring to mind as bass and snare come together. Yet, there is something playful swirling in the background of this striped back sound. Vocoded samples rise and fall as melodies of analogue timidity meet stern walls of bass. “Back Again” follows in similar form, full bodied beats and bass mesh with a warming reserved melody to produce a laid back electro work. The classic components are in here, scratching, sampling, snares, but Overdose and Pauli have injected a solemnity into the formula that brings out something new.
“So Fantastic” starts the B-Side in sinister long synthline fashion, before plunging into the electro undercurrents. The track maintains its underhanded aspect, with synthlines leaning towards dark soundtrack territory. “THC 2″ is served up next, moving into a more playful tone but again adhering to the classic electro sound. The chords are dense with a real dancefloor quality. The analogue drive of the 12” is ever present but the Novamen are giving a different style of track with “THC 2.” “Kappote Kachel” finishes off the 12″, a track moving into the realm of electro abstraction in comparison to its counterparts.
Freak of the Week marks a move for Disco Praline. The label is breaking from its disco centric style and moving into new arenas of electronics. With the team of Pauli and Overdose, Disco Praline have made this move in style, with two veterans of analogue electro. The record is straight electro, but with a twist that the Hague men are renowned for. Again, the Netherlands is proving itself as the cradle of electro.
Freak of the Week EP is out now on Disco Praline.
