South London Ordnance - He Do The Police In Different Voices

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  • Given that South London Ordnance is best known for straight-ahead techno on labels such as Audio Culture, Hotflush and Well-Rounded, the first release on his Aery Metals label is surprising, if only for the remixers involved—Chris Carter, JD Twitch and Factory Floor's Nik Colk Void—who presumably adopt the "different voices" of the EP's T.S. Eliot-referencing title. "Black Acre" has plenty going for it. There's a hookless, verseless structure that wanders prettily and a couple of colourful synth crescendos. But sadly the drums are cookie-cutter stuff and Brolin's post-blubstep vocal is forgettable. On his eerie, slowed-down remix, Chris Carter rips out the vocal, adds swells of bass and renders the central synth line ghostly and thin, drowning everything in a murky reverb. "System" and "Modular Splash" are longer than they ought to be, and suffer from tiresome vocal samples. On his remix of the latter, Void wisely loses the vocal, introducing a high-tension flurry of synth stabs and slabs of distortion. JD Twitch's remix makes a funky bassline the focal point, dabbing on a time-stretched vocal and stacking up glassy tinkles, mournful strings and foggy claps. Though South London Ordnance deserves credit for stepping outside his comfort zone, the originals are clearly overshadowed by the remixes.
  • Tracklist
      A1 South London Ordnance - Black Acre feat. Brolin A2 South London Ordnance - Modular Splash (Factory Floor - NVC Remix) B1 South London Ordnance - Floating World B2 South London Ordnance & Femme En Fourrure - Obsidian C South London Ordnance - System D1 South London Ordnance - Modular Splash (JD Twitch West Glasgow Optimo Mix) D2 South London Ordnance - Black Acre ft. Brolin (Chris Carter Remix)
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