(July 2010) A new sublabel has grown from the Finnish imprint, x0x Records. The ProForm Series is a new offshoot which plans to focus on the sounds of acid and acid house. With their 303, 202, 606, 808 and 909 warmed and ready the first to start down this line is Virta with their Spammers EP. Virta are not new to the x0x camp, having released on the label’s other arm Escape to Synthesis. Virta are the duo of Michael Diekmann, part of the excellent Morphology on Abstract Forms, and Perttu Lindroos.
The EP is set in acid mode with “Accented Annoyed” opening the ProForm account. The track hits home with hit hats and snare before a building acid line breaks to produce a piece that sounds like it came straight from DJ International or Westside Records. The acid house tones are kept for the Armando styled “Moresource Popbytes.” The track reflects the raw 80’s Chitown sound with aggressive 303 tweaks and vintage drum machine supports. The flipside sees “Resurface Chewing Gum” keeping the acid ship afloat with squelching bass and knob tweaks. The final track, “Mutation Obsolete Amourous,” moves away from the classic acid house sound, pour some 303 into a new mould of laid back techno. The track is much more Djak Up Beat or maybe even more Rephlex than it is Trax Records. Acid swirls coil and expand around 90’s drums to produce a piece reminiscent of an acid washed Kirk Digiorgio.
Finland doesn’t seem a likely place for an acid house renaissance, but there you go. The ProForm Series are putting out material that has the edge that made the acid tracks of the late 80’s great. True, the production quality on the Spammers EP is not as grainy as the release that came from Chicago; but that’s not entirely a bad thing. In many respects the tracks throw up comparisons to James T. Cotton or the Jak series on the Creme Organization. The 12″ has the raw dancefloor quality, one of squalid movements, deep basslines and cutting beats. Hopefully this is but the first in a lengthy series.
Spammers EP is out now on ProForm Series.
