- Like the rest of the Clone Jack For Daze series, House Countdown adheres slavishly to the ideals of Chicago. And while this may not be the most limitless arena for Clone founder Serge Verschuur's return—apart from remixes, he's been out of the production game for 15 years—the duo's three jack tracks prove sound examples of refinement.
"Pump-O-Matic," for example, is built around just a single vocal sample and slick, jabbing chords. But the implementation of these ordinary elements is top-notch. Chopped into a solid rhythm of its own, the truncated syllables of the "pump it" vocal begin to coalesce into other words—perhaps "hip-hop, hip-hop it"—while the sharp chords always seem to be in the exact right places. The EPS Deng't mix of "House Countdown" is just as rudimentary, pairing super-taut bass with an even shorter vocal snatch. The bassline is an absolute killer, casting an ominous and energetic shadow over the entire duration. The "Eighty-Nine" mix tightens the strings on this bass even further, providing a slightly brighter—though no less intense—version of the same track. Though it may repeat history, House Countdown's robust arrangements keep things entertaining.
Tracklist A1 House Countdown (Eps Deng T Mix)
A2 House Countdown (Eighty-Nine Remix)
B1 Pump-o-Matic